(stock #'s in %)
Market up 90/18/7. The selloff? Volume back to avg. Oil up over $96. Central bankers warned they can limit, but not escape contagion. WHO's doing the warning?! Ford Focus world's best selling car. But Toyota saying nay. And FAA: long-delayed ATC computer upgrade finally on track.
VNDB up 42. Rebound. SLMU up 27. NGLPF up 23. PRHL up 18. CCGI up 17. ECOS up 15. HOKU up 12. OOIL up 11 (report in STUFF). ZAAP up 10. WTWO up 4. AONE, XSNX, NENE flat. Is AONE turning back up for rebound? Or all 3?
AEHI down 66. When they move, it's usually big. BLDW down 43. WWPW down 38. Another wind comp. CSOL down 33. BOPO down 24. PSPW down 23. Volume. AMLM down 14. CABN down 12. GWBU down 6. NTCXF down 2. LSCG back to a buck.
Friday, August 31, 2012
STUFF
DOI granted Shell permission to begin prep work on Chukchi Sea well. Shell's spent $4B so far on Arctic development. They have to stop drilling Sept 24 but asking for extension.
Gazprom doubts on econ viability of Barents Sea NG development. Phase I "paused". Alliance with Total (FR) and Statoil (NOR) made in '07. Statoil's already writ off $336M. Est. 140TCF reserves. Enough to supply world for a year. Field 340 miles above Arctic Circle.
SolSystems closed on $18M financing for 5MW Solar Vision OH project. Online by yearend.
FSLR halted panel delivery, work on world's largest PV solar farm - $1.8B - in AZ. Ahead of sked, contractual obligations. To resume in Jan. Scheduled completion end of '13. Already 85% built - 247MW. ~6 mo work left. $967M DOE loan guarantee. Owned by NRG Energy, MidAm Energy Holdings.
Italy's solar elgen surpassed their wind elgen for 1st time in '11. Solar gen near 10.7TWh - >3% of total mix. Wind 10.1TWh. Total clean (not including nuke, I presume) power near 25% of '11 elgen. ~2.5GW solar installed 1H12, 15GW total. 97% under 200kw per site.
US geothermal power potential 100GW in next 50 yrs: MIT report. That's France's total peak power use. US now has 3.2GW, more than any other country.
Filasa Intl (France) planning $1.8B investment in 10 more Romanian wind farms. Currently developing 9 farms, totaling 897MW. Another 516MW farm for 1B Euros. They want to develop 300MW of solar also there.
Wind has "significantly" reduced avg C intensity of fossil fuel power plants. In Midwest (US) grid, avg C savings 831kg/MWh. On TX grid, 474.
US solar PV market grew 120% 1H12 to 1.7GW installed, set to top 4.3GW by yearend. Global installs 1H12 >13GW.
German researchers finding locally produced rapeseed biodiesel not showing 35% GHG savings promised. Under 30%. EU emissions target increases to 50% in 5 years.
Origin Oil's (OOIL) Japanese research partners got Japan govt grant for algae project. To build 1-acre sites to prove biofuels production and remediation of radioactive materials. Potential expansion to 100 sites and beyond.
EIA: US ethanol production has stabilized @ avg 34.4Mgal/d. ~820Kb/d.
US prohibiting business with ADT Petroservicious (Mex), US assets frozen, over link to drug trafficking cartel.
Saudi Aramco recovered from computer virus attack from "Cutting Sword of Justice". In mid-Aug. Image of burning Am flag replaced data.
U of Oregon research team funded by DOE finding refrigerating coal plant emissions reduces CO2 emissions >90% at cost of 25% efficiency (presumably added to bills). CO2 captured as solid, warmed and compressed into gas that could be moved by pipe to storage (algae production?). SO2, some NOX and Hg also condensed, safely removed.
Coal-powered energy sold @ ~5.6 cents/KWh in US: '06 CBO est. Est. health costs of coal burning in US $150-380B/y.
Retired CEO of Exelon: Nuke power no longer economically viable source of new energy in US. And won't be for foreseeable future. After 50 years of subsidies. (So why is Iran developing nuke power?)
India's National Council for El Mobility has new plan calling for 6-7M EV's by '20. US 1M EV's by '15 target may not be reached until '17: Pike Research. India's grid a problem. And vehicle safety standards. But looks like India going to pony up a few billion for research and charging infrastructure.
UK Tech Strategy Board launched $36M demo project ($15M from Dept For Transport) to have fleet operators test low-C-emission vehicle tech, refueling infra. Some to improve aerodynamics, replace diesel with bio-methane for 70% reductions. 1st large-scale LNG and biogas refueling station installed. And used cooking oil. And NG.
Germany and Italy opposed to release of EU crude reserves, saying world marts amply supplied even without Iran crude.
Gazprom doubts on econ viability of Barents Sea NG development. Phase I "paused". Alliance with Total (FR) and Statoil (NOR) made in '07. Statoil's already writ off $336M. Est. 140TCF reserves. Enough to supply world for a year. Field 340 miles above Arctic Circle.
SolSystems closed on $18M financing for 5MW Solar Vision OH project. Online by yearend.
FSLR halted panel delivery, work on world's largest PV solar farm - $1.8B - in AZ. Ahead of sked, contractual obligations. To resume in Jan. Scheduled completion end of '13. Already 85% built - 247MW. ~6 mo work left. $967M DOE loan guarantee. Owned by NRG Energy, MidAm Energy Holdings.
Italy's solar elgen surpassed their wind elgen for 1st time in '11. Solar gen near 10.7TWh - >3% of total mix. Wind 10.1TWh. Total clean (not including nuke, I presume) power near 25% of '11 elgen. ~2.5GW solar installed 1H12, 15GW total. 97% under 200kw per site.
US geothermal power potential 100GW in next 50 yrs: MIT report. That's France's total peak power use. US now has 3.2GW, more than any other country.
Filasa Intl (France) planning $1.8B investment in 10 more Romanian wind farms. Currently developing 9 farms, totaling 897MW. Another 516MW farm for 1B Euros. They want to develop 300MW of solar also there.
Wind has "significantly" reduced avg C intensity of fossil fuel power plants. In Midwest (US) grid, avg C savings 831kg/MWh. On TX grid, 474.
US solar PV market grew 120% 1H12 to 1.7GW installed, set to top 4.3GW by yearend. Global installs 1H12 >13GW.
German researchers finding locally produced rapeseed biodiesel not showing 35% GHG savings promised. Under 30%. EU emissions target increases to 50% in 5 years.
Origin Oil's (OOIL) Japanese research partners got Japan govt grant for algae project. To build 1-acre sites to prove biofuels production and remediation of radioactive materials. Potential expansion to 100 sites and beyond.
EIA: US ethanol production has stabilized @ avg 34.4Mgal/d. ~820Kb/d.
US prohibiting business with ADT Petroservicious (Mex), US assets frozen, over link to drug trafficking cartel.
Saudi Aramco recovered from computer virus attack from "Cutting Sword of Justice". In mid-Aug. Image of burning Am flag replaced data.
U of Oregon research team funded by DOE finding refrigerating coal plant emissions reduces CO2 emissions >90% at cost of 25% efficiency (presumably added to bills). CO2 captured as solid, warmed and compressed into gas that could be moved by pipe to storage (algae production?). SO2, some NOX and Hg also condensed, safely removed.
Coal-powered energy sold @ ~5.6 cents/KWh in US: '06 CBO est. Est. health costs of coal burning in US $150-380B/y.
Retired CEO of Exelon: Nuke power no longer economically viable source of new energy in US. And won't be for foreseeable future. After 50 years of subsidies. (So why is Iran developing nuke power?)
India's National Council for El Mobility has new plan calling for 6-7M EV's by '20. US 1M EV's by '15 target may not be reached until '17: Pike Research. India's grid a problem. And vehicle safety standards. But looks like India going to pony up a few billion for research and charging infrastructure.
UK Tech Strategy Board launched $36M demo project ($15M from Dept For Transport) to have fleet operators test low-C-emission vehicle tech, refueling infra. Some to improve aerodynamics, replace diesel with bio-methane for 70% reductions. 1st large-scale LNG and biogas refueling station installed. And used cooking oil. And NG.
Germany and Italy opposed to release of EU crude reserves, saying world marts amply supplied even without Iran crude.
FRIDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 140/24/12 on Bernanke speak. Volume a little stronger, still very light. Oil up near $96.
VNDB bounce, up 28. WTWO up 20. SLMU up 11. NGLPF up 10. FSLR up 5, bounce from yesterday's plunge. GWBU up 1.
PSPW down 31. Bottom. BOPO down 24. XDSL down 15. MMMW down 14. AMLM down 10 on several hundred shares. LEXG down 9. XSNX, NTCXF down 1. NENE flat.
Market up 140/24/12 on Bernanke speak. Volume a little stronger, still very light. Oil up near $96.
VNDB bounce, up 28. WTWO up 20. SLMU up 11. NGLPF up 10. FSLR up 5, bounce from yesterday's plunge. GWBU up 1.
PSPW down 31. Bottom. BOPO down 24. XDSL down 15. MMMW down 14. AMLM down 10 on several hundred shares. LEXG down 9. XSNX, NTCXF down 1. NENE flat.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
STUFF
Iberdrola to complete $120M, 48MW wind farm in Groton by yearend.
Cheyenne City Council approved lease agreement of 12K acres 6 miles west of town for 150-turbine wind farm by Cheyenne Wind possibly online in '16.
E.ON (Germany) N Am opened >200MW wind farm in TX. 112 Vestas 1.8MW's. E.ON >2GW online in TX.
EPA has 45 days from decision to file rehear with same 3 judges that struck down cross-state air pollution rule. Or to seek "enbank" by full DC circuit. Gotta love the law. If I got it right.
5 years ago, Solar World (Germany), with hundreds of millions in tax breaks, transformed empty semiconductor plant in OR into solar panel factory. Solar World invested ~$600M. 1.2K jobs. Now "nothing China can't beat". OR taxpayers on hook for >$100M. Chinese comps in '06 shipped $79M worth of solar panels to US. In '11, it was $2.8B.
Pemex struck oil in deepwater Gulf after years of exploring. 8.2K ft below water surface. Up to 400M bls.
NG yesterday ~$2.60 after hitting $3.20 weeks ago. I guess with the heat wave dying, not so much air conditioning needed. MWh of el in OH now wholesales for ~$40. Big new coal plant in IL wholesales at $60.
Germany seeks to prevent China solar dumping case in EC "with talks".
Scotland giving 5 (another report 4) wave and tidal energy developers $12.5M to develop prototypes. "To capture increased share of growing intl marine E market." Comps to compete who can produce most el over 2 yrs. Or something. But why isn't US competing in everything? The debt? The stupidity?
Brazil Supreme Court overturned 2-week-old lower court rule on 11.2GW, $17B dam project. Work to resume. Started in '11. The locals had their opportunity to chime in or whatever. $17B for 11GW. Bigger than China, isn't it?
Iraq-to-Turkey oil pipe closed again by sabotage.
MD set up kitchen grease hauling registration to curb theft. Haulers required to register online with state ag dept. Good luck with that.
Mich State U to lead 5-year, $4.8M project funded by NSF with researchers from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil to determine how to produce sustainable biofuels and what policies are needed to ensure sustainability.
NSF also announced 15 grants. $30M to 26 institutions for 4 yrs. 3 emerging areas. Large-scale use of micro-orgs that use solar energy to produce chems, fuels from CO2. Study of optimization of micro-orgs and growing conditions to produce easily-processed HC chems in large quantities. And exploration of variety of value-added compounds using array of micro-orgs or by combining bio processes with chem catalysis. Each project to pursue efficiency, sustainability in numbers of ways. So. Mark your calendars for 4 years from now.
Gazprom signed with Bulgaria's National Energy Holdings to build Bulgarian section of NG pipeline. Online '15. 63B cubic meters capacity?
Chile court nixed $5B, 2.1GW coal power plant proposed by Brazil comp and E.ON (Germ). Enviro concerns. Maybe even economics. Heck, you can get wind for less than that. And they may have constant wind off Pacific up mountain slopes. Yea, but the wind propellors destroy the view and kill the birds. How about vertical axis wind? And on it goes.
Exelon says no-go on proposed nuke in SE TX. Cited cheap NG.
O yea, Iran boss said they won't make nuke bombs, just nuke energy. Remember trust, but verify?
New solar tech at Research Triangle Institute. Could reduce cost up to 75%. "Colloidal quantum dots." Combines advantages of organic materials with those of inorganic semiconductors. Tunable optic and eltronic properties. Low-cost materials, processing. Light-weight and flexible. Room-temp processing. High IR sensitivity.
Italian court filed criminal charges against investment fund controlled by Suntech Power (STP). Charged they built solar farms to take advantage of subsidies. Duh. $100M of farms could be dismantled?! Could be a planted story. Or Italy is so fracked up that they want to dismantle solar farms. Yea that makes sense. But STP needs finance to cover convertible bonds due in '13. So maybe it's just another oblique corporate raid. Or a non-story. Sure a lot of court cases in energy, though.
Fed judge found TVA negligent in not preventing '08 coal ash dam failure at Kingston. Ash recovery project expected to continue through '15.
Dow Chem intro'd new polyolefin tech for solar. Back encapsulant, backsheet for panels. "ENLIGHT" Excellent insulation, increased resistance to PID (degradation), extended efficiency. Lower costs for c-Si PV.
Specific E of gasoline (measured in KWh/kg) ~400x lead-acid batt, ~200x lith-ion batt. Just something to leave us with.
Happy trailers, pards.
Cheyenne City Council approved lease agreement of 12K acres 6 miles west of town for 150-turbine wind farm by Cheyenne Wind possibly online in '16.
E.ON (Germany) N Am opened >200MW wind farm in TX. 112 Vestas 1.8MW's. E.ON >2GW online in TX.
EPA has 45 days from decision to file rehear with same 3 judges that struck down cross-state air pollution rule. Or to seek "enbank" by full DC circuit. Gotta love the law. If I got it right.
5 years ago, Solar World (Germany), with hundreds of millions in tax breaks, transformed empty semiconductor plant in OR into solar panel factory. Solar World invested ~$600M. 1.2K jobs. Now "nothing China can't beat". OR taxpayers on hook for >$100M. Chinese comps in '06 shipped $79M worth of solar panels to US. In '11, it was $2.8B.
Pemex struck oil in deepwater Gulf after years of exploring. 8.2K ft below water surface. Up to 400M bls.
NG yesterday ~$2.60 after hitting $3.20 weeks ago. I guess with the heat wave dying, not so much air conditioning needed. MWh of el in OH now wholesales for ~$40. Big new coal plant in IL wholesales at $60.
Germany seeks to prevent China solar dumping case in EC "with talks".
Scotland giving 5 (another report 4) wave and tidal energy developers $12.5M to develop prototypes. "To capture increased share of growing intl marine E market." Comps to compete who can produce most el over 2 yrs. Or something. But why isn't US competing in everything? The debt? The stupidity?
Brazil Supreme Court overturned 2-week-old lower court rule on 11.2GW, $17B dam project. Work to resume. Started in '11. The locals had their opportunity to chime in or whatever. $17B for 11GW. Bigger than China, isn't it?
Iraq-to-Turkey oil pipe closed again by sabotage.
MD set up kitchen grease hauling registration to curb theft. Haulers required to register online with state ag dept. Good luck with that.
Mich State U to lead 5-year, $4.8M project funded by NSF with researchers from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil to determine how to produce sustainable biofuels and what policies are needed to ensure sustainability.
NSF also announced 15 grants. $30M to 26 institutions for 4 yrs. 3 emerging areas. Large-scale use of micro-orgs that use solar energy to produce chems, fuels from CO2. Study of optimization of micro-orgs and growing conditions to produce easily-processed HC chems in large quantities. And exploration of variety of value-added compounds using array of micro-orgs or by combining bio processes with chem catalysis. Each project to pursue efficiency, sustainability in numbers of ways. So. Mark your calendars for 4 years from now.
Gazprom signed with Bulgaria's National Energy Holdings to build Bulgarian section of NG pipeline. Online '15. 63B cubic meters capacity?
Chile court nixed $5B, 2.1GW coal power plant proposed by Brazil comp and E.ON (Germ). Enviro concerns. Maybe even economics. Heck, you can get wind for less than that. And they may have constant wind off Pacific up mountain slopes. Yea, but the wind propellors destroy the view and kill the birds. How about vertical axis wind? And on it goes.
Exelon says no-go on proposed nuke in SE TX. Cited cheap NG.
O yea, Iran boss said they won't make nuke bombs, just nuke energy. Remember trust, but verify?
New solar tech at Research Triangle Institute. Could reduce cost up to 75%. "Colloidal quantum dots." Combines advantages of organic materials with those of inorganic semiconductors. Tunable optic and eltronic properties. Low-cost materials, processing. Light-weight and flexible. Room-temp processing. High IR sensitivity.
Italian court filed criminal charges against investment fund controlled by Suntech Power (STP). Charged they built solar farms to take advantage of subsidies. Duh. $100M of farms could be dismantled?! Could be a planted story. Or Italy is so fracked up that they want to dismantle solar farms. Yea that makes sense. But STP needs finance to cover convertible bonds due in '13. So maybe it's just another oblique corporate raid. Or a non-story. Sure a lot of court cases in energy, though.
Fed judge found TVA negligent in not preventing '08 coal ash dam failure at Kingston. Ash recovery project expected to continue through '15.
Dow Chem intro'd new polyolefin tech for solar. Back encapsulant, backsheet for panels. "ENLIGHT" Excellent insulation, increased resistance to PID (degradation), extended efficiency. Lower costs for c-Si PV.
Specific E of gasoline (measured in KWh/kg) ~400x lead-acid batt, ~200x lith-ion batt. Just something to leave us with.
Happy trailers, pards.
THURSDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 102/29/11. Looking more like double top for averages with April. Volume dead (normal for late Aug). Oil down around $95. Gulf rigs going back into production.
BFRE bouncing back 70 from yesterday. CRGE up 32. JUHL up 14. OOIL, BHWX up 11. XSNX up 9. GWBU up 6.
PSPW down 28. AMLM down 16. VLNCQ down 15. XDSL down 14, back under 50-day lines. FSLR down 10. Coming back to 50-days. AONE down another 6. Where's the bottom? Are they indeed going bankrupt? CSUN reported losses, lowered guidance, down 1. NENE, NTCXF, VNDB, WTWO all flat.
Market down 102/29/11. Looking more like double top for averages with April. Volume dead (normal for late Aug). Oil down around $95. Gulf rigs going back into production.
BFRE bouncing back 70 from yesterday. CRGE up 32. JUHL up 14. OOIL, BHWX up 11. XSNX up 9. GWBU up 6.
PSPW down 28. AMLM down 16. VLNCQ down 15. XDSL down 14, back under 50-day lines. FSLR down 10. Coming back to 50-days. AONE down another 6. Where's the bottom? Are they indeed going bankrupt? CSUN reported losses, lowered guidance, down 1. NENE, NTCXF, VNDB, WTWO all flat.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
WEDNESDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 4/4/1. Forget volume. There ain't none. Oil whatever oil is.
PTOS up 66. WWPW up 46. PRHL up 28. AEHI up 25. TRKP up 23. LMRMF up 21. TMEN up 12. BLQN up 10. GWBU up 6.
BFRE down 45. CGYV down 26. ASPW down 21. CRCL down 14. DSTI down 13. Watch that. HOKU down 12. Coming back. NEXS down 11. JASO, VNDB, AMEL, AMTX down 10. AONE down 7 more on 16M shares. Buy it. WTWO down 4. XSNX down 3. NTCXF down 1. NENE flat.
Market up 4/4/1. Forget volume. There ain't none. Oil whatever oil is.
PTOS up 66. WWPW up 46. PRHL up 28. AEHI up 25. TRKP up 23. LMRMF up 21. TMEN up 12. BLQN up 10. GWBU up 6.
BFRE down 45. CGYV down 26. ASPW down 21. CRCL down 14. DSTI down 13. Watch that. HOKU down 12. Coming back. NEXS down 11. JASO, VNDB, AMEL, AMTX down 10. AONE down 7 more on 16M shares. Buy it. WTWO down 4. XSNX down 3. NTCXF down 1. NENE flat.
STUFF
Half of Americans die with almost no money.
US cars, trucks now must meet equivalent 54.5MPG by '25.
Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono plea to beware fracking's water contamination, and industry assurances.
If Japan's 50 nuke reactors permanently close, power comps will be hit with losses totaling $56B, rendering at least 4 comps insolvent: Japan Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. Govt looking at 3 options. Paring nuke elgen to 20-25% of mix by '30 from ~33% now. Cut it to 15% by '30. Or eliminate it all by '30. By '30, majority of reactors would be near or past 40 years old, current planned decommissioning age.
Australia weighing taking global lead in developing concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) tech. A 250MW, $1.2B project proposed. But, in July, a funding deadline passed on it and Queensland withdrew support, leaving a $79M hole. Nearby 44MW project now in construction near 750MW coal power plant that can use the steam.
19 geothermal projects in development in Oregon. Full-sized wells drilled at 3 projects. Land between Rockies and Coast Range has thin crust, so heat comes nearer surface. US Geothermal's 22MW plant expected online 4Q12. Will be state's 1st commercial-scale geo plant.
India may auction 1GW of solar elgen capacity soon, doubling present capacity. 3GW solar capac proposed by '17. Aiming for 20GW by '22. Most of existing 1GW built in past year.
LA Water and Power wrapping up its pilot solar FIT. Decided to move forward with full 150MW FIT, well above 75MW required by '16. 600MW required by '20. 4.6MW to be contracted in Oct for pilot FIT.
Germany draft legislation will cut risks for offshore wind delays. Consumers would be charged up to 25 euro cents/KWh ($11/yr) if wind farms can't sell their power because of delays connecting to grid. Target of 10GW offshore wind by '20.
PA reports severe decline in new shale gas well permits in Marcellus 1st 7 months this year. 350 permits in Jan, ~110 in July. Decline trend began last year. Drilling has moved west to eastern OH.
Tulare (Cal) leased 4 acres next to its wastewater treatment plant for project to produce algae for jet fuel. Algae Intl Grp and Pacific Oil Products. Pilot phase to produce ~.5M gal/y, full-scale hopes of 6M gal/y. To use treatment plant's CO2, other gases.
Construction start expected Oct or Nov on Biomex's $100M 1st ethanol plant in Mexico. Online 1H14. To use 400K metric tons of sorghum/yr. Building in sorghum belt.
MIT researchers have been genetically modifying a soil bacterium - Ratstonia eutropha - with ARPA-E funds. Trying to get organism to use CO2 stream as its C source, to make fuel from emissions.
Washington Post/ABC poll: 49% of voters prefer Obama's E policy, 41% Romney's.
CNOOC (China) preparing auction of oil/gas blocks to foreign comps near disputed waters claimed by Vietnam and Japan. 30 miles off Paracel Islands in S China Sea. (I swam in, and flew over S China Sea.) China plans in motion for military outpost on islands. I've seen the claim area on a map and must say it's closer to China than Vietnam or Japan. What's Law of Sea say? IS there law of the Sea? Isn't US Congress sitting on that too?
US cars, trucks now must meet equivalent 54.5MPG by '25.
Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono plea to beware fracking's water contamination, and industry assurances.
If Japan's 50 nuke reactors permanently close, power comps will be hit with losses totaling $56B, rendering at least 4 comps insolvent: Japan Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. Govt looking at 3 options. Paring nuke elgen to 20-25% of mix by '30 from ~33% now. Cut it to 15% by '30. Or eliminate it all by '30. By '30, majority of reactors would be near or past 40 years old, current planned decommissioning age.
Australia weighing taking global lead in developing concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) tech. A 250MW, $1.2B project proposed. But, in July, a funding deadline passed on it and Queensland withdrew support, leaving a $79M hole. Nearby 44MW project now in construction near 750MW coal power plant that can use the steam.
19 geothermal projects in development in Oregon. Full-sized wells drilled at 3 projects. Land between Rockies and Coast Range has thin crust, so heat comes nearer surface. US Geothermal's 22MW plant expected online 4Q12. Will be state's 1st commercial-scale geo plant.
India may auction 1GW of solar elgen capacity soon, doubling present capacity. 3GW solar capac proposed by '17. Aiming for 20GW by '22. Most of existing 1GW built in past year.
LA Water and Power wrapping up its pilot solar FIT. Decided to move forward with full 150MW FIT, well above 75MW required by '16. 600MW required by '20. 4.6MW to be contracted in Oct for pilot FIT.
Germany draft legislation will cut risks for offshore wind delays. Consumers would be charged up to 25 euro cents/KWh ($11/yr) if wind farms can't sell their power because of delays connecting to grid. Target of 10GW offshore wind by '20.
PA reports severe decline in new shale gas well permits in Marcellus 1st 7 months this year. 350 permits in Jan, ~110 in July. Decline trend began last year. Drilling has moved west to eastern OH.
Tulare (Cal) leased 4 acres next to its wastewater treatment plant for project to produce algae for jet fuel. Algae Intl Grp and Pacific Oil Products. Pilot phase to produce ~.5M gal/y, full-scale hopes of 6M gal/y. To use treatment plant's CO2, other gases.
Construction start expected Oct or Nov on Biomex's $100M 1st ethanol plant in Mexico. Online 1H14. To use 400K metric tons of sorghum/yr. Building in sorghum belt.
MIT researchers have been genetically modifying a soil bacterium - Ratstonia eutropha - with ARPA-E funds. Trying to get organism to use CO2 stream as its C source, to make fuel from emissions.
Washington Post/ABC poll: 49% of voters prefer Obama's E policy, 41% Romney's.
CNOOC (China) preparing auction of oil/gas blocks to foreign comps near disputed waters claimed by Vietnam and Japan. 30 miles off Paracel Islands in S China Sea. (I swam in, and flew over S China Sea.) China plans in motion for military outpost on islands. I've seen the claim area on a map and must say it's closer to China than Vietnam or Japan. What's Law of Sea say? IS there law of the Sea? Isn't US Congress sitting on that too?
WEDNESDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 13/7/1. Volume dead, but actually pretty normal for late Aug. Oil down under $96. US Q2 GDP revised up to 1.7% from 1.5%.
AEHI up 83 on little volume. WWPW up 46 on 3K shares. GWBU up 14. OOIL, APWR up 11, both on nominal volume. BLQN up 10 on 7K.
CGYV down 26 on 3K. NGLPF down 19 on 5K. ZAAP down 15. JASO down 10 after reporting double of losses, miss on revs and lowered forecast. WTWO down 8 more. AONE down 5 more, new low. ASTI down 5. FSLR down 5 on analyst comment. XSNX down 3. NTCXF, VNDB down 2. NENE flat.
Market down 13/7/1. Volume dead, but actually pretty normal for late Aug. Oil down under $96. US Q2 GDP revised up to 1.7% from 1.5%.
AEHI up 83 on little volume. WWPW up 46 on 3K shares. GWBU up 14. OOIL, APWR up 11, both on nominal volume. BLQN up 10 on 7K.
CGYV down 26 on 3K. NGLPF down 19 on 5K. ZAAP down 15. JASO down 10 after reporting double of losses, miss on revs and lowered forecast. WTWO down 8 more. AONE down 5 more, new low. ASTI down 5. FSLR down 5 on analyst comment. XSNX down 3. NTCXF, VNDB down 2. NENE flat.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
TUESDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market mixed. Down down, Naz up. Volume light. Oil up over $96. G7 countries call for oil output increase to meet demand. Can countries produce more? Volt stopped production again. People don't care, especially the people that can afford a Volt.
CGYV up 56 on 2K shares. CSKH up 33. GERS up 27. ENSL up 25. BLQN up 21 on 300 shares. RENWF up 10. XSNX up 3.
ONYX down 70. VNDB down 37. Maybe there won't be a rebound. PSPW down 24. LMRMF, WWPW down 21. WTWO down 14. PEIX, CSGH down 11. APWR, CCTC down 10. GWBU down 7. AONE down 4 more. NENE, NTCXF flat.
Market mixed. Down down, Naz up. Volume light. Oil up over $96. G7 countries call for oil output increase to meet demand. Can countries produce more? Volt stopped production again. People don't care, especially the people that can afford a Volt.
CGYV up 56 on 2K shares. CSKH up 33. GERS up 27. ENSL up 25. BLQN up 21 on 300 shares. RENWF up 10. XSNX up 3.
ONYX down 70. VNDB down 37. Maybe there won't be a rebound. PSPW down 24. LMRMF, WWPW down 21. WTWO down 14. PEIX, CSGH down 11. APWR, CCTC down 10. GWBU down 7. AONE down 4 more. NENE, NTCXF flat.
STUFF
China's Rene Sola (SOL) got order for 4.6MW of modules from Solar Planet Power. They plan to order up to 15MW more within 6 months. Shooting for ~$200M in solar projects next 2 years. They have contracts for installs @ >30 major school districts, >20 muni sites, hospitals, airports, universities in Ohio. Plans to expand later to other US geomarkets and abroad.
Mauritius closed their FIT program after reaching target, expanded from 2MW last year to 3. 1.3M residents. Their elgen portfolio ('11): 40% coal, 39% oil, 18% bagasse, 2% hydro, .1% wind. Total gen 2.7TWh, total gen cap 367MW. Abundant solar, wind resources. Price of imported coal for them has more than doubled since '02. And we know oil prices.
Surana Ventures, India solar panel maker, planning to double production to 30MW this year. Investing $4.5M in solar cell plant. India wants to help triple their solar manufacturing capacity to 5GW by '20. Sarana sales slid 29% last fiscal year (March), looking for 38% rise this fiscal. India solar target 20GW by '22 - 20x from now. Welspun Energy, country's biggest solar manufacturer, says country will surpass that by 2x. India soon to release 3GW capacity plan for next 4 years and will have domestic content requirement.
4 small hydro plants - total ~3.4MW - to be built in India's Uttar Pradesh.
Global clean E (not including nuclear) industry $260B in '11.
Annual investment in E storage now ~$2.6B: Pike Research. Set to grow to $9.2B in '15, $25B in '21. May grow to $5B in 5 years in US alone. Worldwide, 150GW now being stored, half in Asia (I presume hydro). GE working on sodium nickel batt.
Sapphire Energy says its 1st phase of their commercial demo algae-to-oil facility in NM now operational. When all phases complete, Green Crude Farm will produce 1.5M gallons/y of oil with 300 acres of algae ponds and processing facilities.
Industrial Development Corp (S Africa) jumping back into biofuels investment with $606M for production of 300M liters/yr beginning in '16. Feedstock concerns.
Queen's U (Can) and Weizmann Institute (Israel) researchers studying cellulosome - natural multi-enzyme complex. Could lead to cost reductions for breaking down feedstocks.
Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa - joint initiative of Denmark and Energy, Environment and Climate Change Dept of Africa Development Bank - approved 1st grant. $825K for concept phase of vehicles for investing in private sector driven "green" tech projects.
Bunge (Brazil) says if Brazil raises its ethanol blend back to 25% it will, again, have to increase US imports. Brazil's mills don't have capacity this year for any increase.
Nebraska's Corn Board says retail sales of E15 could begin as early as next month. States held back from E15 because of EPA clean air regs related to summer blends.
Predictions that desalination equipment industry will triple next 5 years, becoming $17B/y market. $5B in '11, est. $8.9B this year. Recent tech breakthroughs.
California has cut its petrol use 13% since '03. Reducing petrol use in fleets. If they can do it ....
Mauritius closed their FIT program after reaching target, expanded from 2MW last year to 3. 1.3M residents. Their elgen portfolio ('11): 40% coal, 39% oil, 18% bagasse, 2% hydro, .1% wind. Total gen 2.7TWh, total gen cap 367MW. Abundant solar, wind resources. Price of imported coal for them has more than doubled since '02. And we know oil prices.
Surana Ventures, India solar panel maker, planning to double production to 30MW this year. Investing $4.5M in solar cell plant. India wants to help triple their solar manufacturing capacity to 5GW by '20. Sarana sales slid 29% last fiscal year (March), looking for 38% rise this fiscal. India solar target 20GW by '22 - 20x from now. Welspun Energy, country's biggest solar manufacturer, says country will surpass that by 2x. India soon to release 3GW capacity plan for next 4 years and will have domestic content requirement.
4 small hydro plants - total ~3.4MW - to be built in India's Uttar Pradesh.
Global clean E (not including nuclear) industry $260B in '11.
Annual investment in E storage now ~$2.6B: Pike Research. Set to grow to $9.2B in '15, $25B in '21. May grow to $5B in 5 years in US alone. Worldwide, 150GW now being stored, half in Asia (I presume hydro). GE working on sodium nickel batt.
Sapphire Energy says its 1st phase of their commercial demo algae-to-oil facility in NM now operational. When all phases complete, Green Crude Farm will produce 1.5M gallons/y of oil with 300 acres of algae ponds and processing facilities.
Industrial Development Corp (S Africa) jumping back into biofuels investment with $606M for production of 300M liters/yr beginning in '16. Feedstock concerns.
Queen's U (Can) and Weizmann Institute (Israel) researchers studying cellulosome - natural multi-enzyme complex. Could lead to cost reductions for breaking down feedstocks.
Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa - joint initiative of Denmark and Energy, Environment and Climate Change Dept of Africa Development Bank - approved 1st grant. $825K for concept phase of vehicles for investing in private sector driven "green" tech projects.
Bunge (Brazil) says if Brazil raises its ethanol blend back to 25% it will, again, have to increase US imports. Brazil's mills don't have capacity this year for any increase.
Nebraska's Corn Board says retail sales of E15 could begin as early as next month. States held back from E15 because of EPA clean air regs related to summer blends.
Predictions that desalination equipment industry will triple next 5 years, becoming $17B/y market. $5B in '11, est. $8.9B this year. Recent tech breakthroughs.
California has cut its petrol use 13% since '03. Reducing petrol use in fleets. If they can do it ....
TUESDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 16/4/1. Volume extremely light. Oil up around $96. US home prices up 5th month in row in June.
CERP up 11, news they're opening India office. NPWZ up 10. GWBU up 6. CLNT up 5. CSIQ up 4, closed on deal for 2 solar farms in Canada. FSLR up 2 more. NTCXF up 1. NENE flat.
VNDB down 18 more. NGLPF down 17. CCTC down 14. AMPD down 12. They got $7.5M investment commitment. PEIX, ALTI down 7. WTWO down 3. AONE down 1.
Market up 16/4/1. Volume extremely light. Oil up around $96. US home prices up 5th month in row in June.
CERP up 11, news they're opening India office. NPWZ up 10. GWBU up 6. CLNT up 5. CSIQ up 4, closed on deal for 2 solar farms in Canada. FSLR up 2 more. NTCXF up 1. NENE flat.
VNDB down 18 more. NGLPF down 17. CCTC down 14. AMPD down 12. They got $7.5M investment commitment. PEIX, ALTI down 7. WTWO down 3. AONE down 1.
Monday, August 27, 2012
MONDAY CLOSE
(Stock #'s in %)
Market same as morn. Dow down, Naz up. Volume very weak. Oil down under $96. 17 Afghans beheaded for dancing. And we're still there? Dancing with the all-time stars coming up. Navy freed 28 kidnapped Nigerian oil workers. O hum. Fast food burger boom in Baghdad. Americans say rich smarter but greedier.
ONYX up 300. 13K shares. AQNM up 72. >300K shs. PPRW up 60 on 14K shs. PSPW up 37 on 22K shs. AVRW up 33 on 10K. SLMU up 32. DSTI, AMPD up 25. ENZR, CRCL up 15. ALTI, QTMM up 14. NFEC up 12. CWET, APWR up 11. SENY up 10. FSLR up 2. VNDB up 1. XSNX flat.
CPWY down 42. AEHI down 26. BLQN, CRGE down 25. GERS down 24. GWBU down 22. Rubber hitting road? NGLPF down 16. BWEN, ECOS down 11. WTWO, AMLM, CERP down 10. Rubber on roads? NENE, NTCXF down 2. Same.
Market same as morn. Dow down, Naz up. Volume very weak. Oil down under $96. 17 Afghans beheaded for dancing. And we're still there? Dancing with the all-time stars coming up. Navy freed 28 kidnapped Nigerian oil workers. O hum. Fast food burger boom in Baghdad. Americans say rich smarter but greedier.
ONYX up 300. 13K shares. AQNM up 72. >300K shs. PPRW up 60 on 14K shs. PSPW up 37 on 22K shs. AVRW up 33 on 10K. SLMU up 32. DSTI, AMPD up 25. ENZR, CRCL up 15. ALTI, QTMM up 14. NFEC up 12. CWET, APWR up 11. SENY up 10. FSLR up 2. VNDB up 1. XSNX flat.
CPWY down 42. AEHI down 26. BLQN, CRGE down 25. GERS down 24. GWBU down 22. Rubber hitting road? NGLPF down 16. BWEN, ECOS down 11. WTWO, AMLM, CERP down 10. Rubber on roads? NENE, NTCXF down 2. Same.
STUFF
(Just trying to make sense of everything.)
Isofoton (Spain), with unnamed US investor, challenging Hanwha's (S Korea) bid for Q-Cells (Germany). Hanwha offering up to $50M for HQ, factories in Germ, Malaysia, sales centers in US, Australia, Japan. If they get Q-Cells, Hanwha would be world's 3rd largest solar manufacturer.
ThinkEco (NYC) invented "Modlet". Plugs into outlet, USB to computer for wireless com. Plug appliance into Modlet and pute shows appliance E use which pute can control.
Layoffs so far this week: Clipper Wind Power (Cedar Rapids) staff down 32% to 376; Vestas cut 30 more in Brighton, CO after 90 layoffs in Pueblo last week; Walker Components (Denver), cable supplier for Vestas, cut to 24 workers from 39. Congress inaction on tax creds for wind. Est. at least 37K folks to lose their jobs in wind power manufacturing with PTC expiration. Equipment suppliers and construction jobs will also be lost. Historical PTC expiration job loss rate 73-93%. That's Congress for us.
Germany's DIW Institute estimates $250B investment in clean/ren E needed over 10 years to compensate for nuke power shutdown.
60 E storage projects selected for 200M Euro in Germany research grants thru '14. Govt also mobilizing state-owned bank - KfW Group - to provide low-interest loans to storage projects. US better keep up. 1 tech uses el, CO2 to turn water into methane (not wine). To store underground for future burn.
2 new hydropower plants bringing 480MW to S Brazil. 350MW for $794M, 135MW for $322M. Construction start in Feb, online in '16.
17% drop in N Sea oil prod next month for maintenance.
Reuters: voters placed high gasoline prices 10th on econ concern list. I bet jobs was #1.
Syrian rebs saying govt forces round up all young men in areas conquered and execute them. I hate reporting on this. But we all must know. Why did US act in Libya and not Syria? Oil? Russia, Iran, China backing Syria? Or because we've had enough of spending lives and fortune on this Shia-Sunni sickening shit?
Next spring probably D-Day on Iranian nuke thing.
7 governers have asked EPA to waive ethanol mandate. EPA can't without evidence of "severe" damage to econ. Eth currently cheaper to produce than gasoline. ~96% of gasoline sold in US now contains eth. Corn would have to go to $10 or oil fall <$70 before refineries would have incentive to stop using eth.
Venezuela refinery (country's largest) explosion damage mostly to storage tanks and outer facilities. Expected return to prod in 2 days. Chavez plans to spend $130B over 6 yrs to dub country's oil prod. He gets reelected Oct 7. Any doubts about that?
TX judge ruled in favor of TransCanada's use of eminent domain to build oil pipe to be part of Keystone XL.
SSE, Britain's 2nd largest E comp, to increase el and gas prices 9% Oct 15.
Qantas cancelled $8.5B order for Boeing Dreamliners, citing 1st full-year net loss since privatization almost 20 years ago.
Bombing of NG pipe feeding S Yemen LNG port.
Record Arctic Sea ice melt probably to be in news next several weeks.
Golden Pass Products - JV of Exxon and Qatar Petrol - asking US for permission to export LNG from existing TX terminal. Golden would spend $10B to convert terminal to export 15.6M tons/y - 2BCF/d of LNG. Question: why do they even have to ask the govt? Answer: so legislators and regulators can get their cut. I sorry. Too jaded?
If you take USGS estimate of 32B bls US oil reserves and add US annual consumption of 6.9B bls - 3.6B from US prod - what do you get? 1 est. that by April or May of '21, US will be out of oil. Is USGS playing the same poker game as OPEC? Or is it craps? Roulette, anyone?
EU proceeding on registration of US ethanol imports, acknowledging damage to EU biofuels industry by significant increase of US eth imports.
Piper Jaffray: "modest downside risk to USDA's most recent corn yield forecast of 123 bushels/acre". (Isaac will soak part of the US most severe drought area this week.) PJ estimates 116-119 bush/ac.
Share of clean/ren E in Netherlands set to rise from 4% in '10 to 7-10% by '20, short of Euro 14% target.
U of GA and BioEnergy Science Center (Oak Ridge) researchers developing DNA transformation tech that can utilize biomass at temps >160F. Working with bacteria that uses biomass for growth and genetics to "teach" them to make eth. Caldicelllulosiruptor bacteria. "Extremophiles."
Cargill to open new $64M biodiesel plant in Brazil this week. Clean E supplying plant's power. Projected 200K tons/y. Plant originally to cost $76M. Good go there, huh? Brazil has B5 mandate.
Genel En (Turkey) buying oil/NG licenses in Malta, Morocco for $11M. 75% stake in Malta for $10M of that.
Israel reaching out to US majors to develop their oil/gas industry. Construction begun on LNG export port link to NG pipes.
Australian mining boom over.
China to invest $373B in E-saving projects and pollution control by '16. 12th 5-yr plan.
Calif carbon price 2x of European. $19.50/met ton in Cal.
Isofoton (Spain), with unnamed US investor, challenging Hanwha's (S Korea) bid for Q-Cells (Germany). Hanwha offering up to $50M for HQ, factories in Germ, Malaysia, sales centers in US, Australia, Japan. If they get Q-Cells, Hanwha would be world's 3rd largest solar manufacturer.
ThinkEco (NYC) invented "Modlet". Plugs into outlet, USB to computer for wireless com. Plug appliance into Modlet and pute shows appliance E use which pute can control.
Layoffs so far this week: Clipper Wind Power (Cedar Rapids) staff down 32% to 376; Vestas cut 30 more in Brighton, CO after 90 layoffs in Pueblo last week; Walker Components (Denver), cable supplier for Vestas, cut to 24 workers from 39. Congress inaction on tax creds for wind. Est. at least 37K folks to lose their jobs in wind power manufacturing with PTC expiration. Equipment suppliers and construction jobs will also be lost. Historical PTC expiration job loss rate 73-93%. That's Congress for us.
Germany's DIW Institute estimates $250B investment in clean/ren E needed over 10 years to compensate for nuke power shutdown.
60 E storage projects selected for 200M Euro in Germany research grants thru '14. Govt also mobilizing state-owned bank - KfW Group - to provide low-interest loans to storage projects. US better keep up. 1 tech uses el, CO2 to turn water into methane (not wine). To store underground for future burn.
2 new hydropower plants bringing 480MW to S Brazil. 350MW for $794M, 135MW for $322M. Construction start in Feb, online in '16.
17% drop in N Sea oil prod next month for maintenance.
Reuters: voters placed high gasoline prices 10th on econ concern list. I bet jobs was #1.
Syrian rebs saying govt forces round up all young men in areas conquered and execute them. I hate reporting on this. But we all must know. Why did US act in Libya and not Syria? Oil? Russia, Iran, China backing Syria? Or because we've had enough of spending lives and fortune on this Shia-Sunni sickening shit?
Next spring probably D-Day on Iranian nuke thing.
7 governers have asked EPA to waive ethanol mandate. EPA can't without evidence of "severe" damage to econ. Eth currently cheaper to produce than gasoline. ~96% of gasoline sold in US now contains eth. Corn would have to go to $10 or oil fall <$70 before refineries would have incentive to stop using eth.
Venezuela refinery (country's largest) explosion damage mostly to storage tanks and outer facilities. Expected return to prod in 2 days. Chavez plans to spend $130B over 6 yrs to dub country's oil prod. He gets reelected Oct 7. Any doubts about that?
TX judge ruled in favor of TransCanada's use of eminent domain to build oil pipe to be part of Keystone XL.
SSE, Britain's 2nd largest E comp, to increase el and gas prices 9% Oct 15.
Qantas cancelled $8.5B order for Boeing Dreamliners, citing 1st full-year net loss since privatization almost 20 years ago.
Bombing of NG pipe feeding S Yemen LNG port.
Record Arctic Sea ice melt probably to be in news next several weeks.
Golden Pass Products - JV of Exxon and Qatar Petrol - asking US for permission to export LNG from existing TX terminal. Golden would spend $10B to convert terminal to export 15.6M tons/y - 2BCF/d of LNG. Question: why do they even have to ask the govt? Answer: so legislators and regulators can get their cut. I sorry. Too jaded?
If you take USGS estimate of 32B bls US oil reserves and add US annual consumption of 6.9B bls - 3.6B from US prod - what do you get? 1 est. that by April or May of '21, US will be out of oil. Is USGS playing the same poker game as OPEC? Or is it craps? Roulette, anyone?
EU proceeding on registration of US ethanol imports, acknowledging damage to EU biofuels industry by significant increase of US eth imports.
Piper Jaffray: "modest downside risk to USDA's most recent corn yield forecast of 123 bushels/acre". (Isaac will soak part of the US most severe drought area this week.) PJ estimates 116-119 bush/ac.
Share of clean/ren E in Netherlands set to rise from 4% in '10 to 7-10% by '20, short of Euro 14% target.
U of GA and BioEnergy Science Center (Oak Ridge) researchers developing DNA transformation tech that can utilize biomass at temps >160F. Working with bacteria that uses biomass for growth and genetics to "teach" them to make eth. Caldicelllulosiruptor bacteria. "Extremophiles."
Cargill to open new $64M biodiesel plant in Brazil this week. Clean E supplying plant's power. Projected 200K tons/y. Plant originally to cost $76M. Good go there, huh? Brazil has B5 mandate.
Genel En (Turkey) buying oil/NG licenses in Malta, Morocco for $11M. 75% stake in Malta for $10M of that.
Israel reaching out to US majors to develop their oil/gas industry. Construction begun on LNG export port link to NG pipes.
Australian mining boom over.
China to invest $373B in E-saving projects and pollution control by '16. 12th 5-yr plan.
Calif carbon price 2x of European. $19.50/met ton in Cal.
MONDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market mixed, Dow down, Naz up. Volume very light. Oil down under $95, but hurricane shutting a lot of Gulf production down.
AQNM up 91. Over triple from July bottom. Over lines. PSPW up 37. Double from mid-Aug bottom, back to 50-day lines. DSTI up 36. Settlement with former officers is all I saw in news. Shot over top (200-day) line. SLMU up 32, peak out above all lines. NEXS up 18. PEIX up 15 more, abover 50-days. AMPD up 10, over 50's. LSCG up 6. VNDB up 1.
GWBU down 14. CSGH down 11. PANL down 11 despite upgrade. Back to top (200) line. WTWO down 10. AONE down 5 more. NENE down 2. XSNX flat. NTCXF not even traded.
Market mixed, Dow down, Naz up. Volume very light. Oil down under $95, but hurricane shutting a lot of Gulf production down.
AQNM up 91. Over triple from July bottom. Over lines. PSPW up 37. Double from mid-Aug bottom, back to 50-day lines. DSTI up 36. Settlement with former officers is all I saw in news. Shot over top (200-day) line. SLMU up 32, peak out above all lines. NEXS up 18. PEIX up 15 more, abover 50-days. AMPD up 10, over 50's. LSCG up 6. VNDB up 1.
GWBU down 14. CSGH down 11. PANL down 11 despite upgrade. Back to top (200) line. WTWO down 10. AONE down 5 more. NENE down 2. XSNX flat. NTCXF not even traded.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
STUFF
From "Freedom's Forge" (I recommend): It took $183B of 1940-45 dollars to produce the US arms for World War II. US GDP in '45 was $231B. We've come a long way, pards.
Venzuela refinery explosion tightening refining capacity even further. Cal plant still down, a midwest and 2 east coast refineries. And then plants will shut down to convert to winter fuels.
Exergy Dev Grp subsid Big Blue Wind Farm to build 36MW project in MN. Gamesa 2MW turbines with new blades designed for low-wind sites. Online by yearend.
372MW - 233 1.6MW turbines - to be going up on west TX wind farm involving 110 landowners covering 50K acres. Stephens Wind Farm construction to begin later this year, completion by Nov '13. Another 17-turbine west TX farm on track for completion late this fall by Wind Tex Energy.
Phillips 66 2-yr partnership with Cal startup Solarmer Energy and S China U of Tech has come up with most efficient polymer-based organic solar cell yet. Thin, flexible, also far less expensive to make. But far less efficient - 9.31% - than silicon cell and less than thin-film cells on market. 12-15% will be commercially viable. But it also degrades far more quickly than silicon, so shorter life span. Solarmer originally licensed the tech from UCLA.
MD govt launched effort to limit extended power outages like those of recent months. But solutions could take significant costs and trade-offs. June 29 outages affected 1M households, lasted avg 38 hrs in Baltimore and 21 folks died of heat-related illness over 9 days.
Cedar Rapids to activate a landfill methane to el and heat project. $3M upfront cost, though wells and pipes already in that flare the meth. About 10-yr payout. Will gen ~1.6KWh. And the heat will heat Resource Recovery Center bldg to save $90K/yr of propane costs.
Researchers at American Chem Society in Philly: zinc phosphide, copper oxide have broken records for both el current and voltage achieved by thin-film solar. Eventually could produce el at costs approaching coal.
Camp Lejeune building multiple solar farms to gen 10MW. "Anywhere we can put it in."
Install of ~4K solar panels - 972KWh - on hangars at San Rafael airport (Cal) expected to be finished end of Sept. $3M project to feed power to grid. Began early July.
Toole Army Depot (Salt Lake City) broke ground on $9.6M solar project. Will produce 30% of depot's el.
1 of 3 silos that hold coal ash at WV coal plant fell apart. Plant going offline Sept 1. Built in '52, silos ~'60.
Venzuela refinery explosion tightening refining capacity even further. Cal plant still down, a midwest and 2 east coast refineries. And then plants will shut down to convert to winter fuels.
Exergy Dev Grp subsid Big Blue Wind Farm to build 36MW project in MN. Gamesa 2MW turbines with new blades designed for low-wind sites. Online by yearend.
372MW - 233 1.6MW turbines - to be going up on west TX wind farm involving 110 landowners covering 50K acres. Stephens Wind Farm construction to begin later this year, completion by Nov '13. Another 17-turbine west TX farm on track for completion late this fall by Wind Tex Energy.
Phillips 66 2-yr partnership with Cal startup Solarmer Energy and S China U of Tech has come up with most efficient polymer-based organic solar cell yet. Thin, flexible, also far less expensive to make. But far less efficient - 9.31% - than silicon cell and less than thin-film cells on market. 12-15% will be commercially viable. But it also degrades far more quickly than silicon, so shorter life span. Solarmer originally licensed the tech from UCLA.
MD govt launched effort to limit extended power outages like those of recent months. But solutions could take significant costs and trade-offs. June 29 outages affected 1M households, lasted avg 38 hrs in Baltimore and 21 folks died of heat-related illness over 9 days.
Cedar Rapids to activate a landfill methane to el and heat project. $3M upfront cost, though wells and pipes already in that flare the meth. About 10-yr payout. Will gen ~1.6KWh. And the heat will heat Resource Recovery Center bldg to save $90K/yr of propane costs.
Researchers at American Chem Society in Philly: zinc phosphide, copper oxide have broken records for both el current and voltage achieved by thin-film solar. Eventually could produce el at costs approaching coal.
Camp Lejeune building multiple solar farms to gen 10MW. "Anywhere we can put it in."
Install of ~4K solar panels - 972KWh - on hangars at San Rafael airport (Cal) expected to be finished end of Sept. $3M project to feed power to grid. Began early July.
Toole Army Depot (Salt Lake City) broke ground on $9.6M solar project. Will produce 30% of depot's el.
1 of 3 silos that hold coal ash at WV coal plant fell apart. Plant going offline Sept 1. Built in '52, silos ~'60.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
FRIDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 100/16/9. Volume extremely light. Oil down near 96.
ENSL up 42. CWET up 38, recovery from tumble after they put out a letter. NPWZ up 30, up 70 since early Aug. AMLM up 23. NGLPF up 21. CLNT, WTWO up 15. MMMW up 14. CSGH, ECOS up 13. TMEN up 12. PEIX up 10, back to 50-day lines. KNDI up 6, may be turning back up. XSNX up 3. NENE, NTCXF flat.
PTOS down 40. WWPW down 28, backing off recent surge. SENY, AEHI down 25. VNDB down 21 more, another new low. They must be going under and or out. Still might rebound, though. PSPW down 20. CBAK down 12. PRHL down 11, on bottom. LIME down 8, new low. AONE down 6.
Market up 100/16/9. Volume extremely light. Oil down near 96.
ENSL up 42. CWET up 38, recovery from tumble after they put out a letter. NPWZ up 30, up 70 since early Aug. AMLM up 23. NGLPF up 21. CLNT, WTWO up 15. MMMW up 14. CSGH, ECOS up 13. TMEN up 12. PEIX up 10, back to 50-day lines. KNDI up 6, may be turning back up. XSNX up 3. NENE, NTCXF flat.
PTOS down 40. WWPW down 28, backing off recent surge. SENY, AEHI down 25. VNDB down 21 more, another new low. They must be going under and or out. Still might rebound, though. PSPW down 20. CBAK down 12. PRHL down 11, on bottom. LIME down 8, new low. AONE down 6.
Friday, August 24, 2012
STUFF
Odds of global recession 100%: Faber. Well, why not think positive.
Mitt says "big biz is doing fine". I guess that's what Barrack was saying a while ago, though saying - oops - "private sector". And big biz IS doing fine. Making profits, though maybe down a little lately, and plenty of cash in the bank. Duh.
Clean/ren en got ~$66B in subsidies worldwide in '10. This year, global fossil fuel subsidies estimated between $775B and $1T.
Nautilus Solar started operations of 1.9MW from rooftop project in Cal. Power to S Cal Ed. Nautilus owns, operates 89MW of solar in US.
Peabody Coal got mining rights for 400 acres in NW Colo.
Rising sea forcing natives to evac islands off Panama. I keep asking one of me bro's if he notices water coming up at Marco Island. He says no. I will ask me sis and bro-in-law there. They still have boats.
Of course, big news this week was Fed court throwing out EPA rule for air pollution across state lines. Enviros eyeing less well-known section of Clean Air Act as possible vehicle for downwind states to force upwind neighbors to limit harmful emissions. States' rights.
And what is it that GOP conventions now get hurricanes (Isaac potentially) when they meet?
CBO: 2 GOP bills on ozone depleters wouldn't cost much. That's something I would think we'll see more of.
Army Corps: OMB funding formula "stacks the deck" against urban projects. Red into that: New Orleans.
Ancient tortoise - absent from NM for 11K years - poised for comeback. It can't get more obvious. They beat the hares.
Residential water wells drying up across US midwest.
Green Peace activists scaled Russian Arctic oil platform. Huh. Didn't know they had one.
Alaska, Hawaii talking potential LNG transfers.
NYC weighing options for protecting against rising seas, severe weather.
Australia's Victoria state banned fracking.
Singapore enviro agency up'd standards for emissions.
70% Japan citizens favoring zero nuke. Can you blame them?
Corn stalks nowadays so tough that tractor tires wearing out faster than anyone anticipated. Costing farmers big.
Iowa produced 3.9B gal of eth and biodies last year. 24% growth in GDP since RFS ('05). Prod now down 30% for drought relief. And eth plants can't pay >$6.75/bush for corn. 325M gal in active biodies capac, 25M gal mothballed. 18 new projects for next-gen biofuels.
EIA: US eth prod avg 823Kb/d - 34.6M gal. Stocks at 18.5M bls. Gasoline demand for week avg'd 38Mg/d.
Romney backs the RFS.
Romania and Russia sparring over energy. Who wins that? Go Romania.
Turkey's Genel En taking gamble on Iraq oil.
Sats showing significant progress at new N Korea reactor believed to be front for weapons. Supposedly xperimental light-water reactor years away from completion.
WalMart launched 20-story wind turb in Cal for distribution center. That's a state-of-art 3MW turb at least. 90MW TX wind farm for 30 stores. Go Wally World. And Waltons own FLSR. The Waltons are somebody. Though they did take manufacturing to China. In history, was that good or bad?
Iran reps agreed to meet with IAEA in Vienna today. UN to release Q report after.
Ford set to gain soon in hybrid mart.
Mitt says "big biz is doing fine". I guess that's what Barrack was saying a while ago, though saying - oops - "private sector". And big biz IS doing fine. Making profits, though maybe down a little lately, and plenty of cash in the bank. Duh.
Clean/ren en got ~$66B in subsidies worldwide in '10. This year, global fossil fuel subsidies estimated between $775B and $1T.
Nautilus Solar started operations of 1.9MW from rooftop project in Cal. Power to S Cal Ed. Nautilus owns, operates 89MW of solar in US.
Peabody Coal got mining rights for 400 acres in NW Colo.
Rising sea forcing natives to evac islands off Panama. I keep asking one of me bro's if he notices water coming up at Marco Island. He says no. I will ask me sis and bro-in-law there. They still have boats.
Of course, big news this week was Fed court throwing out EPA rule for air pollution across state lines. Enviros eyeing less well-known section of Clean Air Act as possible vehicle for downwind states to force upwind neighbors to limit harmful emissions. States' rights.
And what is it that GOP conventions now get hurricanes (Isaac potentially) when they meet?
CBO: 2 GOP bills on ozone depleters wouldn't cost much. That's something I would think we'll see more of.
Army Corps: OMB funding formula "stacks the deck" against urban projects. Red into that: New Orleans.
Ancient tortoise - absent from NM for 11K years - poised for comeback. It can't get more obvious. They beat the hares.
Residential water wells drying up across US midwest.
Green Peace activists scaled Russian Arctic oil platform. Huh. Didn't know they had one.
Alaska, Hawaii talking potential LNG transfers.
NYC weighing options for protecting against rising seas, severe weather.
Australia's Victoria state banned fracking.
Singapore enviro agency up'd standards for emissions.
70% Japan citizens favoring zero nuke. Can you blame them?
Corn stalks nowadays so tough that tractor tires wearing out faster than anyone anticipated. Costing farmers big.
Iowa produced 3.9B gal of eth and biodies last year. 24% growth in GDP since RFS ('05). Prod now down 30% for drought relief. And eth plants can't pay >$6.75/bush for corn. 325M gal in active biodies capac, 25M gal mothballed. 18 new projects for next-gen biofuels.
EIA: US eth prod avg 823Kb/d - 34.6M gal. Stocks at 18.5M bls. Gasoline demand for week avg'd 38Mg/d.
Romney backs the RFS.
Romania and Russia sparring over energy. Who wins that? Go Romania.
Turkey's Genel En taking gamble on Iraq oil.
Sats showing significant progress at new N Korea reactor believed to be front for weapons. Supposedly xperimental light-water reactor years away from completion.
WalMart launched 20-story wind turb in Cal for distribution center. That's a state-of-art 3MW turb at least. 90MW TX wind farm for 30 stores. Go Wally World. And Waltons own FLSR. The Waltons are somebody. Though they did take manufacturing to China. In history, was that good or bad?
Iran reps agreed to meet with IAEA in Vienna today. UN to release Q report after.
Ford set to gain soon in hybrid mart.
FRIDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 37/10/3. Volume extremely light. Oil under $97.
US durable goods orders up 4.2% in July. US capital goods orders down most since Nov. UK 2Q slump smaller than est.
AMLM up 29 on 2K shs. NGLPF up 22 on yesterday's news I presume. TMEN up 20 on 2K. CLNT up 16. Over first 200-day line, coming off double bottom. GWBU up 14. XSNX up 12. ECOS up 10.
WWPW down 28. SENY down 19, their 3-day romp over. SPIR down 14. DSTI down 9. AONE down another 5. VNDB down 4 more. WTWO down 3. NENE, NTCXF flat.
Market up 37/10/3. Volume extremely light. Oil under $97.
US durable goods orders up 4.2% in July. US capital goods orders down most since Nov. UK 2Q slump smaller than est.
AMLM up 29 on 2K shs. NGLPF up 22 on yesterday's news I presume. TMEN up 20 on 2K. CLNT up 16. Over first 200-day line, coming off double bottom. GWBU up 14. XSNX up 12. ECOS up 10.
WWPW down 28. SENY down 19, their 3-day romp over. SPIR down 14. DSTI down 9. AONE down another 5. VNDB down 4 more. WTWO down 3. NENE, NTCXF flat.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
THURSDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 115/20/11. Volume unchecked. Oil around $97.
WWPWup 218 on 12K shs. Well, God blessed those participants. Who was smart enough to sell the top? CBAK up 56 on their news. BLQN, CRGE up 42. LEDS up 16. LEXG up 15. Good day for L's. AXPW up 10. WTWO up 4. NTCXF up 3. SENY up 2.
CPWY down 53. AMLM down 32. CWET down 14. NEXS down 7. XSNX down 6. Buy it. GWBU down 4. Will there be comeback? ECOS down 2. VNDB, NENE flat.
Market down 115/20/11. Volume unchecked. Oil around $97.
WWPWup 218 on 12K shs. Well, God blessed those participants. Who was smart enough to sell the top? CBAK up 56 on their news. BLQN, CRGE up 42. LEDS up 16. LEXG up 15. Good day for L's. AXPW up 10. WTWO up 4. NTCXF up 3. SENY up 2.
CPWY down 53. AMLM down 32. CWET down 14. NEXS down 7. XSNX down 6. Buy it. GWBU down 4. Will there be comeback? ECOS down 2. VNDB, NENE flat.
STUFF
Exergy Dev Grp ended work on Idaho 116MW package of wind farms this year. Behind on bills. And Bonneville cuts out wind power from grid when water's high and dams produce. And they couldn't get the wind in place before end of year when tax creds could run out.
NY Gov signed bills to extend tax cred, exempt equipment sales taxes and offer tax abatements for solar. Calls for '12 customer-sited installs to double '11 capacity, '13 to quadruple '11. State now has goal of 45% clean/ren elgen by '15. ~121MW solar now installed in ~7,500 systems.
USAF contracted Sun Ed to build, finance, op 14.5MW solar array on AZ base. Online by end of year. Will save base $400-500K/y, provide 35% of el. AF now has 131 solar, wind, waste-to-E and landfill gas projects running. Plans to build 30 more by end of '13.
SDE (Israel) to sell $1.2M of sea wave power plants to China. Final stages of building 2nd plant of 3 in China; 1st 2 150KW, 3rd 500KW. Their systems 10% on water, 90% on land. Prod costs ~$20/MWh.
Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline project kaput. Was to be 275-mile, 765KV line to supply MD substation from WV substation. No reason given. Maybe not needed.
US oil and gas and mining comps (all comps?) now must disclose all payments to all govts. SEC vote fulfills section of Dodd-Frank aimed at curbing corruption.
Antarctic peninsula warming faster than almost any other place on Earth. Temps up near 5F over last 50 yrs.
Chinese solar industry wants Beijing to weigh in over EU trade dispute.
BLM released plan to better manage increased drilling activity in Colo basin.
Stanford, Penn State scientists process converts el to methane (NG) using microbes. C comes from atmos, so C neutral. El from unused clean E, like out in Idaho and such, can be used. Some way to go before a stable, scalable process. But WAY TO GO SCIENTISTS!
Romney would give states control over E prod on fed lands within their borders and allow drilling off east coast US. And opposes clean E tax breaks. And just picked up $6M at Houston big oil lunch. "E independence by '20". O, the dream. And also for coal miners. Hay, the campaign politicking. 2 sides. Why do we have to have 2 parties? Especially so disagreeable with each other? We live here together. Do we really disagree that much on what's best for our world?
Germany minister offered 10-point energy plan - more a checklist. Most import to raise '20 EU emissions reduction target to 30% from now 20% ('90 base).
Lucid Energy partnering with San Antonio Water System to build demo site for Pipe Power System. Vertical-axis turbines in pipes to produce el. Project 60KW, online early '13. Lucid awarded $1M DOE SBIR grant in '09. Pilot tests already with Riverside Public Util over last 2 yrs.
POET, Agrivida 4-yr tech collab on cell eth to significantly reduce capital and operating costs.
Chemtex (NC site, Italy owners) got $99M conditional loan guarantee from USDA for engineering, construction of "Project Alpha" - 20M gal/y cell eth facility. Projected online in '14. Non-food feedstock grown on marginal land. Same tech as world's 1st comm-scale plant in Italy online this fall and plants to be built in Brazil. More USDA assist to help farmers' start-up costs for the crops. Again, fed money to foreign comps for US jobs.
Ohio State researcher, colleagues say ecology experts should be included in algae research to ensure no unintended consequences to enviro if GM algae escapes from controlled enviros.
East Africa Energy Forum cited Kenya and 4 intl oil comps for selling offshore oil blocks that belong to Somalia. Pirates v. pirates?
Is it time for wind power blade vortice wingtips? Like wingtips on jets? Or vertical axis wind? I think vertical axis wind. I don't see any blade tips turned up on plane propellers. Maybe that's too hard to do. Not too hard for jet wings.
Near half of mortgage borrowers (US) under 40 years of age underwater. The mess is still with us. Besides the middle class being broke. But God speed you rich pards. May your camels get through the eye of the needle.
DOE scientists unveiled uranium recovery from oceans tech.
China to start stockpiling rare earths.
KY cows weathering drought with candy snacks. We did that back in late '80's in Colo. Molasses-covered wheat and oats.
China scooping up US scrap metal.
New plan in Alberta limits oil development, conserves land. Where's Alberta? Um, maybe no oil there.
Cracks in Belgium nuke reactor 1st detected in '79. In the early '80's, I think I remember correctly the time, we bermed up the cracked nuke containers of Belgian-Congo uranium from the '50's out at the Fernald OH plant. I was a laborer then. We put rocks and then concrete into the tops. So if I die from cancer, that may be why.
40% of the food Americans have available to them goes to waste. We have to solve this, pards. Children and other folks are starving and malnutritioned around the world. $166B worth of food wasted in '08, the last year studied. A national sin. Let's work on that, A? Let's start something new on that.
4 weeks in row US crude oil stocks down. Why pump prices going up? Or is it the 1Mb/d redux in world prod lately? US gasoline consumption also rose from down 4% on year to down 2% lately. What, the vacation driving? Who's on vacation? Late Aug prices highest ever for yeartime.
Happy trails, pards.
NY Gov signed bills to extend tax cred, exempt equipment sales taxes and offer tax abatements for solar. Calls for '12 customer-sited installs to double '11 capacity, '13 to quadruple '11. State now has goal of 45% clean/ren elgen by '15. ~121MW solar now installed in ~7,500 systems.
USAF contracted Sun Ed to build, finance, op 14.5MW solar array on AZ base. Online by end of year. Will save base $400-500K/y, provide 35% of el. AF now has 131 solar, wind, waste-to-E and landfill gas projects running. Plans to build 30 more by end of '13.
SDE (Israel) to sell $1.2M of sea wave power plants to China. Final stages of building 2nd plant of 3 in China; 1st 2 150KW, 3rd 500KW. Their systems 10% on water, 90% on land. Prod costs ~$20/MWh.
Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline project kaput. Was to be 275-mile, 765KV line to supply MD substation from WV substation. No reason given. Maybe not needed.
US oil and gas and mining comps (all comps?) now must disclose all payments to all govts. SEC vote fulfills section of Dodd-Frank aimed at curbing corruption.
Antarctic peninsula warming faster than almost any other place on Earth. Temps up near 5F over last 50 yrs.
Chinese solar industry wants Beijing to weigh in over EU trade dispute.
BLM released plan to better manage increased drilling activity in Colo basin.
Stanford, Penn State scientists process converts el to methane (NG) using microbes. C comes from atmos, so C neutral. El from unused clean E, like out in Idaho and such, can be used. Some way to go before a stable, scalable process. But WAY TO GO SCIENTISTS!
Romney would give states control over E prod on fed lands within their borders and allow drilling off east coast US. And opposes clean E tax breaks. And just picked up $6M at Houston big oil lunch. "E independence by '20". O, the dream. And also for coal miners. Hay, the campaign politicking. 2 sides. Why do we have to have 2 parties? Especially so disagreeable with each other? We live here together. Do we really disagree that much on what's best for our world?
Germany minister offered 10-point energy plan - more a checklist. Most import to raise '20 EU emissions reduction target to 30% from now 20% ('90 base).
Lucid Energy partnering with San Antonio Water System to build demo site for Pipe Power System. Vertical-axis turbines in pipes to produce el. Project 60KW, online early '13. Lucid awarded $1M DOE SBIR grant in '09. Pilot tests already with Riverside Public Util over last 2 yrs.
POET, Agrivida 4-yr tech collab on cell eth to significantly reduce capital and operating costs.
Chemtex (NC site, Italy owners) got $99M conditional loan guarantee from USDA for engineering, construction of "Project Alpha" - 20M gal/y cell eth facility. Projected online in '14. Non-food feedstock grown on marginal land. Same tech as world's 1st comm-scale plant in Italy online this fall and plants to be built in Brazil. More USDA assist to help farmers' start-up costs for the crops. Again, fed money to foreign comps for US jobs.
Ohio State researcher, colleagues say ecology experts should be included in algae research to ensure no unintended consequences to enviro if GM algae escapes from controlled enviros.
East Africa Energy Forum cited Kenya and 4 intl oil comps for selling offshore oil blocks that belong to Somalia. Pirates v. pirates?
Is it time for wind power blade vortice wingtips? Like wingtips on jets? Or vertical axis wind? I think vertical axis wind. I don't see any blade tips turned up on plane propellers. Maybe that's too hard to do. Not too hard for jet wings.
Near half of mortgage borrowers (US) under 40 years of age underwater. The mess is still with us. Besides the middle class being broke. But God speed you rich pards. May your camels get through the eye of the needle.
DOE scientists unveiled uranium recovery from oceans tech.
China to start stockpiling rare earths.
KY cows weathering drought with candy snacks. We did that back in late '80's in Colo. Molasses-covered wheat and oats.
China scooping up US scrap metal.
New plan in Alberta limits oil development, conserves land. Where's Alberta? Um, maybe no oil there.
Cracks in Belgium nuke reactor 1st detected in '79. In the early '80's, I think I remember correctly the time, we bermed up the cracked nuke containers of Belgian-Congo uranium from the '50's out at the Fernald OH plant. I was a laborer then. We put rocks and then concrete into the tops. So if I die from cancer, that may be why.
40% of the food Americans have available to them goes to waste. We have to solve this, pards. Children and other folks are starving and malnutritioned around the world. $166B worth of food wasted in '08, the last year studied. A national sin. Let's work on that, A? Let's start something new on that.
4 weeks in row US crude oil stocks down. Why pump prices going up? Or is it the 1Mb/d redux in world prod lately? US gasoline consumption also rose from down 4% on year to down 2% lately. What, the vacation driving? Who's on vacation? Late Aug prices highest ever for yeartime.
Happy trails, pards.
THURSDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 66/12/5. Volume very light. Oil up over $97.
NGLPF up 31 on accelerated payments from Ormat. Up to 50-day lines. SENY over double in day 3, up 23 more, in 200-day (top) lines. NEXS up 14, prelim Q report released. Off bottom. CBAK up 12, orders from VW. Off bottom. GWBU up 8. XSNX up 5. NTCXF up 4. Time to buy in. ASTI up 2. FSLR up 2, to build India plants.
CCGI down 21 after announcing more installs. AMLM down 12. BWEN down over 10 on 1-for-10 reverse split. AONE down 4 more, another new low. NENE down 1.
Market down 66/12/5. Volume very light. Oil up over $97.
NGLPF up 31 on accelerated payments from Ormat. Up to 50-day lines. SENY over double in day 3, up 23 more, in 200-day (top) lines. NEXS up 14, prelim Q report released. Off bottom. CBAK up 12, orders from VW. Off bottom. GWBU up 8. XSNX up 5. NTCXF up 4. Time to buy in. ASTI up 2. FSLR up 2, to build India plants.
CCGI down 21 after announcing more installs. AMLM down 12. BWEN down over 10 on 1-for-10 reverse split. AONE down 4 more, another new low. NENE down 1.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
WEDNESDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market mixed. Volume very light. Oil down under $97.
AMLM up 46. BOPO up 42. SENY up 34 more. VSPC up 18. ASTI, AMEL up 6. ALTI up 5. WTWO up 4. NENE up 3. AONE turned around, up 1. Up 10 off day bottom.
CRGE down 25. CWET, NEXS down 24. GWBU down 15. NPWZ down 12. SOPW down 11. VNDB down 9. I would be looking at buying for rebound. XSNX down 8. Still double bottoming. NTCXF down 1.
Market mixed. Volume very light. Oil down under $97.
AMLM up 46. BOPO up 42. SENY up 34 more. VSPC up 18. ASTI, AMEL up 6. ALTI up 5. WTWO up 4. NENE up 3. AONE turned around, up 1. Up 10 off day bottom.
CRGE down 25. CWET, NEXS down 24. GWBU down 15. NPWZ down 12. SOPW down 11. VNDB down 9. I would be looking at buying for rebound. XSNX down 8. Still double bottoming. NTCXF down 1.
STUFF
Africa Oil announced significant increase in Kenya, Ethiopia reserves.
We Energies to convert downtown Milwaukee coal plant to NG in '15 or '16. Downtown still uses steam from plant for winter heat. Those prices to rise 8%. Conversion cost $60-65M. Only We Energies coal plant without modern pollution controls.
Cal Tech professor led team that developed new toilet for Gates project. Flushes, sanitizes the water, produces H from the waste to create el.
Vestas cutting 1.4K more jobs, anticipating global decline in wind installs next year. Still considering 1.6K jobs in US. Increased competition from Nordex (Germ) and Goldwind (Chin).
Basel III intl banking standards take effect in Jan (go to '19). Suite of capital adequacy, leverage and liquidity (new to Basel regimes) requirements. Clean/renew E, with its heavy reliance on project finance, will be vulnerable to liquidity stds. Bonds a way to go, though, and could grow from $2B/y now to $18-40B by '20. US Fed to implement its own version of Basel III. And Dodd-Frank still being phased in.
Brazil utility to invest $225M to triple capacity of 78MW hydro plant. Online in '16.
Mass finalized strict regs on biomass plants. Reguires woody biomass plants to gen @ minimum 50% efficiency to get a half Ren En Cred, 60% efficiency for full cred. Previous requirement 25%. If applied nationally, almost half of plants wouldn't make it. Mass also requiring forest impact assessment every 5 yrs. And special category of biomass deemed to be advancing tech gets half cred with 40% efficicncy. Mass must reduce its GHG's 80% by '50 under '08 act.
New Delhi Center for Science and Environment says US is killing India's domestic solar industry. US Ex-Im Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corp using $30B fund set up by UN to help developing countries overcome climate change. India allows thin-film solar projects to use non-Indian parts, though. So US Ex-Im offering low-interest loans to developers that use US-made thin-film cells, panels. FSLR surely comes to mind. 30% of India solar industry facing closure.
Spain won't levy more taxes on solar or solar thermal. Aiming to prevent $30B of power system debt winding up on govt books. Exposure could reach >$60B in 4 yrs unless govt reduces subsidies. Their power system spends >$7B/y more than revs.
24 active ethanol plants in NB. Combined capacity >2B gal/y. Requires 700M bushels of corn/y. $5B invested. But, near 5M cattle finished/y there. Drought corn battle. Though it's most irrigated state in US. Corn supply should be OK there.
CEO of Absolute Fuel (TX), 1 of comps indicted for selling false RINs, used >$30M in revs to buy luxury goods from Jetstream to several homes and Patton tank.
Ethanol production fallen low enough to begin sucking up surplus. Expect higher ethanol prices. Production down 15% from record Dec high.
Agri-Source Fuels (FL) filed Chap 11. Owes $4M. Going to restructure. Jobs OK for now.
U of Missouri researchers got $5.4M DOE grant to research non-food biofuel feedstocks for 100M acres along Missouri, Mississippi Rivers.
Ukraine suspended biodiesel imports from Belarus until new policies in place to protect Ukraine producers.
Argentina filed complaint against Spain at WTO over biodiesel imports. EU, of course, has filed against Argentina.
EPA to open 30-day comment period on proposed RFS waiver put forward by governors of NC and Ark (chicken raisers need cheaper corn). GA, NM also have petitioned. EPA has until Nov 13 to decide.
Tata Motors (India) developing "Airpod" car that runs on compressed air. 5 years ago they bought rights to sell MDI's (Luxembourg) CA motor in India. 1 Euro gets 125 miles. Car gets up to 40MPH. Tank holds compressed air from service station or taken from air by el pump on board.
Shell awaits end of whale hunt season in Beaufort Sea before setting up drilling.
Nuke leak at Hanford.
Regulators OK'd spending plan for GA reactor.
Exxon began spill cleanup in Nigeria.
NRDC: Americans throw away almost half their food. I think a lot of that is restaurants.
China to invest $372B in E conservation, pollution control. No time span given. 5 years?
Record-high radioactivity in Fukushima-area fish.
Iran blasted for banning women from studying nuke physics, oil engineering.
We Energies to convert downtown Milwaukee coal plant to NG in '15 or '16. Downtown still uses steam from plant for winter heat. Those prices to rise 8%. Conversion cost $60-65M. Only We Energies coal plant without modern pollution controls.
Cal Tech professor led team that developed new toilet for Gates project. Flushes, sanitizes the water, produces H from the waste to create el.
Vestas cutting 1.4K more jobs, anticipating global decline in wind installs next year. Still considering 1.6K jobs in US. Increased competition from Nordex (Germ) and Goldwind (Chin).
Basel III intl banking standards take effect in Jan (go to '19). Suite of capital adequacy, leverage and liquidity (new to Basel regimes) requirements. Clean/renew E, with its heavy reliance on project finance, will be vulnerable to liquidity stds. Bonds a way to go, though, and could grow from $2B/y now to $18-40B by '20. US Fed to implement its own version of Basel III. And Dodd-Frank still being phased in.
Brazil utility to invest $225M to triple capacity of 78MW hydro plant. Online in '16.
Mass finalized strict regs on biomass plants. Reguires woody biomass plants to gen @ minimum 50% efficiency to get a half Ren En Cred, 60% efficiency for full cred. Previous requirement 25%. If applied nationally, almost half of plants wouldn't make it. Mass also requiring forest impact assessment every 5 yrs. And special category of biomass deemed to be advancing tech gets half cred with 40% efficicncy. Mass must reduce its GHG's 80% by '50 under '08 act.
New Delhi Center for Science and Environment says US is killing India's domestic solar industry. US Ex-Im Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corp using $30B fund set up by UN to help developing countries overcome climate change. India allows thin-film solar projects to use non-Indian parts, though. So US Ex-Im offering low-interest loans to developers that use US-made thin-film cells, panels. FSLR surely comes to mind. 30% of India solar industry facing closure.
Spain won't levy more taxes on solar or solar thermal. Aiming to prevent $30B of power system debt winding up on govt books. Exposure could reach >$60B in 4 yrs unless govt reduces subsidies. Their power system spends >$7B/y more than revs.
24 active ethanol plants in NB. Combined capacity >2B gal/y. Requires 700M bushels of corn/y. $5B invested. But, near 5M cattle finished/y there. Drought corn battle. Though it's most irrigated state in US. Corn supply should be OK there.
CEO of Absolute Fuel (TX), 1 of comps indicted for selling false RINs, used >$30M in revs to buy luxury goods from Jetstream to several homes and Patton tank.
Ethanol production fallen low enough to begin sucking up surplus. Expect higher ethanol prices. Production down 15% from record Dec high.
Agri-Source Fuels (FL) filed Chap 11. Owes $4M. Going to restructure. Jobs OK for now.
U of Missouri researchers got $5.4M DOE grant to research non-food biofuel feedstocks for 100M acres along Missouri, Mississippi Rivers.
Ukraine suspended biodiesel imports from Belarus until new policies in place to protect Ukraine producers.
Argentina filed complaint against Spain at WTO over biodiesel imports. EU, of course, has filed against Argentina.
EPA to open 30-day comment period on proposed RFS waiver put forward by governors of NC and Ark (chicken raisers need cheaper corn). GA, NM also have petitioned. EPA has until Nov 13 to decide.
Tata Motors (India) developing "Airpod" car that runs on compressed air. 5 years ago they bought rights to sell MDI's (Luxembourg) CA motor in India. 1 Euro gets 125 miles. Car gets up to 40MPH. Tank holds compressed air from service station or taken from air by el pump on board.
Shell awaits end of whale hunt season in Beaufort Sea before setting up drilling.
Nuke leak at Hanford.
Regulators OK'd spending plan for GA reactor.
Exxon began spill cleanup in Nigeria.
NRDC: Americans throw away almost half their food. I think a lot of that is restaurants.
China to invest $372B in E conservation, pollution control. No time span given. 5 years?
Record-high radioactivity in Fukushima-area fish.
Iran blasted for banning women from studying nuke physics, oil engineering.
WEDNESDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 29/1/1. Volume very light. Oil down under $97. Existing home sales up 2.3% last month.
SENY up 22 more in day 2. PRHL up 11. VNDB up 9, start of rebound? ASTI up 6. CSIQ up 5 on upgrade to neutral. WTWO up 4. NENE up 4. News release that I was feeling yesterday. But just announcing someone to advisory board. QTWW flat on buy recommendation. ZIP flat on Houston launch of muni EV sharing program.
WWPW down 45 after yesterday's zoom. BLQN down 26. CWET down 20, new low. INIS down 15. VLNCQ, CCGI down 9. XSNX down 8. AONE down 5 more, another new low. NTCXF down 5. FTEK down 2 on $2.3M China order.
Market down 29/1/1. Volume very light. Oil down under $97. Existing home sales up 2.3% last month.
SENY up 22 more in day 2. PRHL up 11. VNDB up 9, start of rebound? ASTI up 6. CSIQ up 5 on upgrade to neutral. WTWO up 4. NENE up 4. News release that I was feeling yesterday. But just announcing someone to advisory board. QTWW flat on buy recommendation. ZIP flat on Houston launch of muni EV sharing program.
WWPW down 45 after yesterday's zoom. BLQN down 26. CWET down 20, new low. INIS down 15. VLNCQ, CCGI down 9. XSNX down 8. AONE down 5 more, another new low. NTCXF down 5. FTEK down 2 on $2.3M China order.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
TUESDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 68/8/4. Volume light. Oil down under $97. S&P hit 4-year high, then the selling came in. And Japan exports number added to concern.
WWPW up 247 on 4.2K shares. Talk about crazy. VLNCQ up 60 on 2.2M shs. SENY up 51 on getting $5M financing. Really. Got over 50-day lines. PSPW up 42 off yesterday's plunge. XSNX up 17. Now they may be ready to start back up. Buy the come back. CERP up 11. Double bottom. ALTI up 10. Up off 50-day lines. CCTC up 8. Pushing against all the lines. FSLR up 7. NENE flat. Time to buy the double bottom? Expect a news release.
PRHL down 30. VNDB down 26 more. I'm still expecting bounce. AMLM down 22. AMPD down 20. WTWO down 14 more. Back on bottom. CERE down 9, new low. GWBU down 8. REGI down 7. NTCXF down 2. AONE down 2, new low.
Market down 68/8/4. Volume light. Oil down under $97. S&P hit 4-year high, then the selling came in. And Japan exports number added to concern.
WWPW up 247 on 4.2K shares. Talk about crazy. VLNCQ up 60 on 2.2M shs. SENY up 51 on getting $5M financing. Really. Got over 50-day lines. PSPW up 42 off yesterday's plunge. XSNX up 17. Now they may be ready to start back up. Buy the come back. CERP up 11. Double bottom. ALTI up 10. Up off 50-day lines. CCTC up 8. Pushing against all the lines. FSLR up 7. NENE flat. Time to buy the double bottom? Expect a news release.
PRHL down 30. VNDB down 26 more. I'm still expecting bounce. AMLM down 22. AMPD down 20. WTWO down 14 more. Back on bottom. CERE down 9, new low. GWBU down 8. REGI down 7. NTCXF down 2. AONE down 2, new low.
STUFF
First Energy intends to reduce ops next month at 2.2GW Ohio coal-fired plant because the el's not needed. 7 boilers. Scrubbers installed from '05 to '10 for $1.8B to scrub SO2, NOx. Anti-soot equip put in in '80's for $456M. Plant burns 6-7M tons of coal/yr. 1st boilers installed '59, '62. The el is not needed. Amazing.
U of Washington physicist says buildup of clouds over oceans by spraying salt water into air from ships could reflect sunlight away from planet, potentially slowing warming. Let's see if it works. Would that be under DOE or EPA or NOAA or one of the labs or universities? My guess would be NOAA.
China charging 6 renewable (clean?) energy projects in US violate WTO rules. And the trade war goes on.
Coal-fired power accounted for 10% of 8.1GW new elgen added so far this year in US.
China National Offshore Oil Corp to invest $1.56B next 5 years to explore for coalbed gas.
US pipeline comps looking to expand into Mexico.
Mexico - large supplier of oil to US - experiencing significant fall in crude production: EIA. They need more investment from intl oil comps or will have to import oil as soon as '20.
Developers of $39B plan for tidal power in UK seeking investment from sovereign wealth funds. UK govt rejected proposal 2 years ago. 1,064 turbines in mouth of Britain's longest river would gen 16.4TWh/y (~3 nuke plants).
IHI Corp (Japan) bought up to 50% stake in 3 biomass and 2 coal Calif power plants from Exelon. Plans to convert coal plants to biomass. Plants range from 33-25MW.
Freight rates for ethanol shipments from Houston to Rotterdam at lowest point for year - $45/metric ton for 5K-ton vessels. Started year at $60.
Maple Energy (Peru) completed 1st export sale of ethanol to Mitsui per contract. ~1.56M gallons destined for EU customer. Another sale later this month.
In WV, DOE's project producing algae in ponds from CO2 captured from small coal boiler at Touchstone Research Lab moving to next phase. Will use new material to cover ponds to absorb sunlight in day and release at night to maintain constant temp while minimizing evap and preventing other species getting into ponds.
Germany development minister calling to suspend national E10 blend because of food prices. Only 4% of their corn crop went to biofuel production last year.
Brazil may raise their ethanol blend by year end. But that's sugarcane. Sugar's not good for folks.
Five years of drought forced migration of 1.5M folks from rural to urban living in Syria. And the regime paid little attention to water or agri issues. Country's breadbasket has been depleted and cities can't sustain the extra folks. I guess that's part of the uprising.
Middle Tenn State U professor developing plug-in hybrid retrofit kit for any car. Gas mileage increase 50-100%. El motors at each rear wheel and large lith-ion batt mounted in rear. Can add el motor to wheel without changing any other mechanical parts. With volume, maybe $3K each. Why stop at rear wheels? Maybe the steering?
DC appeals court threw out EPA's latest attempt to regulate harmful air emissions that cross state lines. Huh.
Shade cloths could protect swaths of Great Barrier Reef (and I suppose any reefs): report. Well, something came out of that conference weeks ago.
Shell rig began 2-week journey to Beaufort Sea.
Crews cleaning up ND well blowout.
NOAA: hot weather appears to be linked to fewer tornados. So, 1 global warming silver lining? Aren't tornados exclusive to US? Huh. Amazing.
U of Washington physicist says buildup of clouds over oceans by spraying salt water into air from ships could reflect sunlight away from planet, potentially slowing warming. Let's see if it works. Would that be under DOE or EPA or NOAA or one of the labs or universities? My guess would be NOAA.
China charging 6 renewable (clean?) energy projects in US violate WTO rules. And the trade war goes on.
Coal-fired power accounted for 10% of 8.1GW new elgen added so far this year in US.
China National Offshore Oil Corp to invest $1.56B next 5 years to explore for coalbed gas.
US pipeline comps looking to expand into Mexico.
Mexico - large supplier of oil to US - experiencing significant fall in crude production: EIA. They need more investment from intl oil comps or will have to import oil as soon as '20.
Developers of $39B plan for tidal power in UK seeking investment from sovereign wealth funds. UK govt rejected proposal 2 years ago. 1,064 turbines in mouth of Britain's longest river would gen 16.4TWh/y (~3 nuke plants).
IHI Corp (Japan) bought up to 50% stake in 3 biomass and 2 coal Calif power plants from Exelon. Plans to convert coal plants to biomass. Plants range from 33-25MW.
Freight rates for ethanol shipments from Houston to Rotterdam at lowest point for year - $45/metric ton for 5K-ton vessels. Started year at $60.
Maple Energy (Peru) completed 1st export sale of ethanol to Mitsui per contract. ~1.56M gallons destined for EU customer. Another sale later this month.
In WV, DOE's project producing algae in ponds from CO2 captured from small coal boiler at Touchstone Research Lab moving to next phase. Will use new material to cover ponds to absorb sunlight in day and release at night to maintain constant temp while minimizing evap and preventing other species getting into ponds.
Germany development minister calling to suspend national E10 blend because of food prices. Only 4% of their corn crop went to biofuel production last year.
Brazil may raise their ethanol blend by year end. But that's sugarcane. Sugar's not good for folks.
Five years of drought forced migration of 1.5M folks from rural to urban living in Syria. And the regime paid little attention to water or agri issues. Country's breadbasket has been depleted and cities can't sustain the extra folks. I guess that's part of the uprising.
Middle Tenn State U professor developing plug-in hybrid retrofit kit for any car. Gas mileage increase 50-100%. El motors at each rear wheel and large lith-ion batt mounted in rear. Can add el motor to wheel without changing any other mechanical parts. With volume, maybe $3K each. Why stop at rear wheels? Maybe the steering?
DC appeals court threw out EPA's latest attempt to regulate harmful air emissions that cross state lines. Huh.
Shade cloths could protect swaths of Great Barrier Reef (and I suppose any reefs): report. Well, something came out of that conference weeks ago.
Shell rig began 2-week journey to Beaufort Sea.
Crews cleaning up ND well blowout.
NOAA: hot weather appears to be linked to fewer tornados. So, 1 global warming silver lining? Aren't tornados exclusive to US? Huh. Amazing.
TUESDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 56/23/8. Volume light. Oil up over $97.
SENY up 32. Got $5M financing. Over 50-day lines. CCTC up 12. Got their first licensing fee - $375K. Up to all their lines (converging). XSNX, MGLT up 10. FSLR up another 6. Most solars up. ASTI up 5 more. NTCXF up 3 more. ITRI up 1. Brazil contract for 20K smart meters.
VNDB down 20 more. I thought the bottom was in for a rebound a couple days ago. NPWZ down 10. WTWO down 7 more. AMEL down 2. Drilling permits for 2 lithium mining projects. NENE flat.
Market up 56/23/8. Volume light. Oil up over $97.
SENY up 32. Got $5M financing. Over 50-day lines. CCTC up 12. Got their first licensing fee - $375K. Up to all their lines (converging). XSNX, MGLT up 10. FSLR up another 6. Most solars up. ASTI up 5 more. NTCXF up 3 more. ITRI up 1. Brazil contract for 20K smart meters.
VNDB down 20 more. I thought the bottom was in for a rebound a couple days ago. NPWZ down 10. WTWO down 7 more. AMEL down 2. Drilling permits for 2 lithium mining projects. NENE flat.
Monday, August 20, 2012
CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market flat. Volume very light. Oil up over $97.
BLDW up 33. AMLM up 16. HOKU up 12, up 9x from bottom last month. NPWZ up 11, back over 50-day lines. NTCXF up 8. Catch them now. JASO up 7 on volume, over 50's. FSLR up 5. ENOC up 4, near double from May bottom, up over 67 this month. MXWL up 4.
BOPO down 30, new low. PSPW down 29. CERE, PRHL down 16. CWET down 11, new low. VNDB down 11. Day 9 of tumble. CERP down 10. Back on bottom. AONE down 7, new low, despite headline that they should be at 55 cents with the Chinese buyout. LSCG down 7, back near bottom. NENE, WTWO, XSNX down 6. ASTI down 1.
Market flat. Volume very light. Oil up over $97.
BLDW up 33. AMLM up 16. HOKU up 12, up 9x from bottom last month. NPWZ up 11, back over 50-day lines. NTCXF up 8. Catch them now. JASO up 7 on volume, over 50's. FSLR up 5. ENOC up 4, near double from May bottom, up over 67 this month. MXWL up 4.
BOPO down 30, new low. PSPW down 29. CERE, PRHL down 16. CWET down 11, new low. VNDB down 11. Day 9 of tumble. CERP down 10. Back on bottom. AONE down 7, new low, despite headline that they should be at 55 cents with the Chinese buyout. LSCG down 7, back near bottom. NENE, WTWO, XSNX down 6. ASTI down 1.
STUFF
2 substitutes for guar bean extract - used in fracking - have hit market. 1 each from Baker Hughes and Halliburton. Several other labs working on theirs. But reports coming in that none are working as well as guar.
Malawi and Tanzania resolving territorial dispute to get oil exploration going.
Kenya has initiated its Lamu oil port project and discussions with S Sudan on pipeline going well.
Energy-related US Q1 CO2 emissions lowest of any Q1 since '92: EIA. Down 8% from year ago. Mild winter, reduced gasoline use, conversion of coal-fired to NG-fired power plants (the big one).
Iraq has been helping Iran skirt sanctions. Well, you're welcome, Iraq, for the US getting rid of Hussein for you and bequeathing you democracy. With our kids' blood, guts, limbs and lives. And, surely, yours too. Wishes we could have avoided all that. But Hussein really had to go. So what the money. Baghdad bank last month barred from American banking system (as pure as that is). But just a part of network of financial institutions and oil smuggling operations helping Iran. Can't write fiction better than this.
India govt missed out on near $34B in royalties - a report says - by selling private coal comps concessions at negotiated prices instead of auction.
Conservative US Repubs launched new group to promote clean E. Huh. Skin in the game my guess.
Milwaukee coal power plant to convert to NG.
Singapore announced climate action plan.
Results in from Utica shale formation in east Ohio. Output of "wet gas" - NG and NG liquids - exciting comps with claims along PA border. But search for shale oil further west disappointing.
Gulf of Mex offshore drilling activity nearing pre-spill levels.
Theft of Mex oil products on rise.
Oil wells, weather tied to ozone pollution rise in Uinta Basin Utah.
DOE: 67% domestic content in US wind farms' equipment in '11, up from 60% in '10. Near 2x '05-'06. 500 US factories serving the sector. Wind now provides ~3% of total US elgen.
US Army spent $5B on clean/renewable energy in FY11. To invest $3B in FY13. FY12 not in yet.
United Airlines joined Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group.
Nestle chairman urging politicians to end use of food for biofuels.
Iowa State U, Purdue reports found waiving RFS for biofuels will not lower corn prices. Well, you have to look at the states where those reports come from. And their corn production. And who paid for the study, possibly. You know, how will our greatgrandkids look back on us and ask what the hell were our folks thinking?! If this age makes it that far. For God's sake, people need food. And the rich can drive less or more expensively.
Sorry to get so emotional.
Brazil govt launched BOB - Brasilia Oil, Gas, Biofuel - to support logistics and infrastructure for these sectors.
DC court approved partial waiver for E15. Added E15 option for gas pumps, not full blend into gasoline, as I understand it. E10 market has been saturated. If E15 blend were implemented during this drought, 2/3 or more of US corn crop could be diverted to fuel was a quote. Thank God somebody in power has compassion.
US govt released official rules for offshore drilling safety to replace interim rules after '10 spill. Will cost industry $131M/y more - peanuts to them - for increased inspections, tests and new equipment.
Researchers developing sustainable fisheries feed.
Wind power comp moving turbines to avoid birds.
It appears global oil production fell ~1Mb/d in June from ~90Mb/d plateau since Jan. Well, there's the price rise at the pumps. July showing little change from June. US NG inventories remaining ~12.5% above normal for this time of year.
US crude oil demand fell to lowest in near 4 years in July. Better mileage cars. Less pleasure cruises. Less pleasure flying. Name it. Pleasure boating? Trucking? Trains? Shipping?
US exports of coal and fuels on track to set new annual record.
Chevron appealing Brazil court injunction on operations.
Shell's window for drilling offshore Alaska closing for this year. Still retrofitting spill response vessel. And then there's Coast Guard OK.
Next month we could see Artic sea ice shrink to record set in '07.
Rwanda - remember the hotel - to drill for geothermal in Dec.
Petrobras (Brazil) raising expectations of another giant find in offshore sub-salt layer.
Venezuela increased oil sales to China to 640Kb/d. "Better price than US".
Proposed US opening up 11.8M acres of National Petrol Reserve in Alaska.
Kurdistan - whom I would recognize as a sovereign nation just on basis of their long suffering - delivered 116Kb/d since restarting pumping on Aug 7 despite dispute with Baghdad. Or after it was resolved. Who knows. Hard tellin with all the goins on. Lot of blood shed by our boys over this oil and such. Too much. Way too much to not pay attention.
Chief of Belgium's nuke power regulatory agency "skeptical" that reactor near Antwerp can ever be restarted. Anomolies found in tank holding reactor core could be cracks.
Malawi and Tanzania resolving territorial dispute to get oil exploration going.
Kenya has initiated its Lamu oil port project and discussions with S Sudan on pipeline going well.
Energy-related US Q1 CO2 emissions lowest of any Q1 since '92: EIA. Down 8% from year ago. Mild winter, reduced gasoline use, conversion of coal-fired to NG-fired power plants (the big one).
Iraq has been helping Iran skirt sanctions. Well, you're welcome, Iraq, for the US getting rid of Hussein for you and bequeathing you democracy. With our kids' blood, guts, limbs and lives. And, surely, yours too. Wishes we could have avoided all that. But Hussein really had to go. So what the money. Baghdad bank last month barred from American banking system (as pure as that is). But just a part of network of financial institutions and oil smuggling operations helping Iran. Can't write fiction better than this.
India govt missed out on near $34B in royalties - a report says - by selling private coal comps concessions at negotiated prices instead of auction.
Conservative US Repubs launched new group to promote clean E. Huh. Skin in the game my guess.
Milwaukee coal power plant to convert to NG.
Singapore announced climate action plan.
Results in from Utica shale formation in east Ohio. Output of "wet gas" - NG and NG liquids - exciting comps with claims along PA border. But search for shale oil further west disappointing.
Gulf of Mex offshore drilling activity nearing pre-spill levels.
Theft of Mex oil products on rise.
Oil wells, weather tied to ozone pollution rise in Uinta Basin Utah.
DOE: 67% domestic content in US wind farms' equipment in '11, up from 60% in '10. Near 2x '05-'06. 500 US factories serving the sector. Wind now provides ~3% of total US elgen.
US Army spent $5B on clean/renewable energy in FY11. To invest $3B in FY13. FY12 not in yet.
United Airlines joined Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group.
Nestle chairman urging politicians to end use of food for biofuels.
Iowa State U, Purdue reports found waiving RFS for biofuels will not lower corn prices. Well, you have to look at the states where those reports come from. And their corn production. And who paid for the study, possibly. You know, how will our greatgrandkids look back on us and ask what the hell were our folks thinking?! If this age makes it that far. For God's sake, people need food. And the rich can drive less or more expensively.
Sorry to get so emotional.
Brazil govt launched BOB - Brasilia Oil, Gas, Biofuel - to support logistics and infrastructure for these sectors.
DC court approved partial waiver for E15. Added E15 option for gas pumps, not full blend into gasoline, as I understand it. E10 market has been saturated. If E15 blend were implemented during this drought, 2/3 or more of US corn crop could be diverted to fuel was a quote. Thank God somebody in power has compassion.
US govt released official rules for offshore drilling safety to replace interim rules after '10 spill. Will cost industry $131M/y more - peanuts to them - for increased inspections, tests and new equipment.
Researchers developing sustainable fisheries feed.
Wind power comp moving turbines to avoid birds.
It appears global oil production fell ~1Mb/d in June from ~90Mb/d plateau since Jan. Well, there's the price rise at the pumps. July showing little change from June. US NG inventories remaining ~12.5% above normal for this time of year.
US crude oil demand fell to lowest in near 4 years in July. Better mileage cars. Less pleasure cruises. Less pleasure flying. Name it. Pleasure boating? Trucking? Trains? Shipping?
US exports of coal and fuels on track to set new annual record.
Chevron appealing Brazil court injunction on operations.
Shell's window for drilling offshore Alaska closing for this year. Still retrofitting spill response vessel. And then there's Coast Guard OK.
Next month we could see Artic sea ice shrink to record set in '07.
Rwanda - remember the hotel - to drill for geothermal in Dec.
Petrobras (Brazil) raising expectations of another giant find in offshore sub-salt layer.
Venezuela increased oil sales to China to 640Kb/d. "Better price than US".
Proposed US opening up 11.8M acres of National Petrol Reserve in Alaska.
Kurdistan - whom I would recognize as a sovereign nation just on basis of their long suffering - delivered 116Kb/d since restarting pumping on Aug 7 despite dispute with Baghdad. Or after it was resolved. Who knows. Hard tellin with all the goins on. Lot of blood shed by our boys over this oil and such. Too much. Way too much to not pay attention.
Chief of Belgium's nuke power regulatory agency "skeptical" that reactor near Antwerp can ever be restarted. Anomolies found in tank holding reactor core could be cracks.
MONDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 43/15/5. Volume light. Oil up to $96. Euro worries back.
SLMU up 20. NPWZ up 11. OPTT up 6 on FERC license for OR wave power station. GWBU up 6. FSLR up 5 more. AMEL up 4. NTCXF, WTWO up 3. VNDB, NENE flat.
NEXS down 17. MMMW down 12. XSNX down 10. DSTI down 6. ASTI flat, regained Naz compliance.
Market down 43/15/5. Volume light. Oil up to $96. Euro worries back.
SLMU up 20. NPWZ up 11. OPTT up 6 on FERC license for OR wave power station. GWBU up 6. FSLR up 5 more. AMEL up 4. NTCXF, WTWO up 3. VNDB, NENE flat.
NEXS down 17. MMMW down 12. XSNX down 10. DSTI down 6. ASTI flat, regained Naz compliance.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
STUFF
There's estimated to be double the amount of oil in TX-NM Permian Basin than in Bakken. Some reports Permian production could reach almost 2Mb/d by '16. OXY, APA, PSE drilling there.
Regulators approved Public Service Co of NM tacking $1.38 to $1.47 per customer onto bills as clean/renewable charge to cover their costs of adding clean/ren E. Before, PNM had to wait until next rate case to try to recover costs. They say the "pay as we go" charge will save customers ~$2.7M.
Mississippi Power building lignite-fired power plant. Online in 20 months. Gasification process. Byproducts - CO2, sulfuric acid and anhydrous ammonia (NH3) - will all be captured and sold. Roughly 4B tons of lignite reserves in Miss easily mineable. Plant will use 4M tons/y. Lignite a brown-black coal that can still show parts of the wood it comes from. More carbon than peat.
TVA will need to invest at least $11.8B to update their 4 coal-fired plants still operating. Their plants are older, dirtier polluters than other utilities'. Sierra Club says shut them down and invest in energy efficiency.
CPS Energy added 10MW more solar PV to portfolio, completing 30MW project with Sun Ed. Single-axis tracking. CPS now has 44.8MW of solar. Also leads TX with 1.06GW of wind power. Also 12.6MW landfill gas. US's largest muni-owned (San Antonio) utility. Offers lowest rates of top 10 largest US cities.
Shale formation in Canada's NW Territories - Canol - the newest to begin heating up. Husky, Shell on it. ~3B bls recoverable oil. Hard problem is how to get it to market. No pipeline. No train. Rough ice roads. Possible summer shipping. China's richest man has billions invested in Husky.
Regulators approved Public Service Co of NM tacking $1.38 to $1.47 per customer onto bills as clean/renewable charge to cover their costs of adding clean/ren E. Before, PNM had to wait until next rate case to try to recover costs. They say the "pay as we go" charge will save customers ~$2.7M.
Mississippi Power building lignite-fired power plant. Online in 20 months. Gasification process. Byproducts - CO2, sulfuric acid and anhydrous ammonia (NH3) - will all be captured and sold. Roughly 4B tons of lignite reserves in Miss easily mineable. Plant will use 4M tons/y. Lignite a brown-black coal that can still show parts of the wood it comes from. More carbon than peat.
TVA will need to invest at least $11.8B to update their 4 coal-fired plants still operating. Their plants are older, dirtier polluters than other utilities'. Sierra Club says shut them down and invest in energy efficiency.
CPS Energy added 10MW more solar PV to portfolio, completing 30MW project with Sun Ed. Single-axis tracking. CPS now has 44.8MW of solar. Also leads TX with 1.06GW of wind power. Also 12.6MW landfill gas. US's largest muni-owned (San Antonio) utility. Offers lowest rates of top 10 largest US cities.
Shale formation in Canada's NW Territories - Canol - the newest to begin heating up. Husky, Shell on it. ~3B bls recoverable oil. Hard problem is how to get it to market. No pipeline. No train. Rough ice roads. Possible summer shipping. China's richest man has billions invested in Husky.
FRIDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 25/14/2. Volume heavy for an August Friday (options Friday). Oil up over $96.
AMPD up 135. Punch out from bottom to over 50-day lines. CSOL up 100 on 700 shs. AQNM up 28. Climbing up? ENSL up 25. AMLM up 18. CPWY, NPWZ up 17. CPWY up off 50-day lines. NPWZ back up to 50-day. IFXY up 12, up off 50's. CCTC up 11. SENY up 10, stabilized on bottom. DSTI up 9, up off 50's. ASTI up 7, reversing 2-day fall. GTAT up 6, day's high hit 200-days.
WTWO, SLMU, PPRW down 16. EVSI down 11. EFOI down 10. VNDB down 8. AMEL down 7. AONE down 4, new low. XSNX down 3. FSLR down 1.
Market up 25/14/2. Volume heavy for an August Friday (options Friday). Oil up over $96.
AMPD up 135. Punch out from bottom to over 50-day lines. CSOL up 100 on 700 shs. AQNM up 28. Climbing up? ENSL up 25. AMLM up 18. CPWY, NPWZ up 17. CPWY up off 50-day lines. NPWZ back up to 50-day. IFXY up 12, up off 50's. CCTC up 11. SENY up 10, stabilized on bottom. DSTI up 9, up off 50's. ASTI up 7, reversing 2-day fall. GTAT up 6, day's high hit 200-days.
WTWO, SLMU, PPRW down 16. EVSI down 11. EFOI down 10. VNDB down 8. AMEL down 7. AONE down 4, new low. XSNX down 3. FSLR down 1.
Friday, August 17, 2012
STUFF
22 states looking to add NGV's to fleets.
US reliance on Saud oil heading back up. Mexico, Venezuala production down. Saud imports up ~20% this year. In 1H11 US imported ~1.15Mb/d from Sauds. 2.6Mb/d US imports from Persian Gulf area this May.
Chu backing reauthorization of surcharge on Cal el bills that's raised ~$350M/yr for clean E and E efficiency projects.
Novozymes cut prediction of US ethanol production because of drought.
Novozymes (Denmark) reported revs up 7% in 1H12. EBIT margin 24%. EBIT full year raised to 11-14% from 9-12%.
Chinese comp wants to invest $1B in TX clean coal project.
DC appeals court tossed E15 lawsuit brought by oil, auto and food industry (where was the feed industry?) against EPA. None of petitioners had standing, court said.
White House freed up $470M in unspent earmarks for infrastructure. Yep, political timing. They all do it. We would do it too if we were there unless we are really different peoples. Maybe some of us are really different peeps. We'll only know if we get in office.
Bipartisan group of 25 senators calls underfunding of ports "totally unacceptable".
Hot weather, lightning spreading blazes in polar bear habitat.
Red tide has killed near 1M fish in TX.
NRC: owner of troubled Cal nuke plant failed to provide adequate cyber security.
Construction start on southern leg of Keystone XL pipeline.
First Energy overpaid for renewable energy credits in OH.
Chinese solar panel makers request probe of alleged EU solar dumping, subsidies.
GE unveiled wind turbine to charge EVs.
Norway driver hit bear while swerving to avoid moose. I know. Nothing to do with energy.
Bill McGuire carried Duke Power into nuke age. Died at 102.
Diesel fuel used to frack at least 138 wells in US in past 18 months according to industry reports. EPA proposed definition of diesel raises that # to 408.
New LNG export terminals could become white elephants: study. I've seen white elephants. In fact, there's one just outside my window. But I've also seen flying pigs. And UFOs. :)
Canada doctors calling for health study for oil sands. I'm guessing for the workers and local residents.
EIA: US weekly ethanol production averaging 819Kb/d. ~34.4M gal/d. Up 2Kb/d from week before. 4-week average 810Kb/d. Annually ~ 12.4B gallons. Ethanol stocks at 18.4M bls. Gasoline demand avg 391M gal/d. Daily eth prod 8.8% of gas demand. So, eth mix down around 1.2% lately as I understand it. The drought. And corn costs.
BP Biofuels, TX AgriLife Research, in TX A&M system, signed 3-year agreement to develop and commercialize cellulosic feedstocks for advanced biofuels. Pearl millet napiergrass, kinggrass, energy cane and miscane suitable along US gulf coast.
Boeing, COMAC opened joint Aviation Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction Tech Center in China. 1st research project to ID contaminants in "gutter oil" (waste cooking oil) and processes that may treat it and clean it for jet fuel. China consumes ~29M tons/y of cooking oil and their av system uses 20M tons/y. Do that math.
POET, Novozymes calling on EPA to deny RFS waivers.
$32.7B of new power and water projects have or will start construction this year in Middle East this year. 97 projects. UAE $1.5B, headed by $740M solar farm. Kuwait 19 projects for $4.2B led by $2.7B water and power plant. Sauds $8.8B for 15 projects. And 9 more countries.
Bill Gates: near 2.6B folks around world have no access to clean sanitation. 1.5M children die from that every year. Bill and Meliss awarded CalTech money for solar-powered toilet. The one we knew of back in the '70's?
DOE expects total Kazach oil production to reach 200Kb/d in '13. Kazmunaigas predicting 300K and 1Mb/d as early as '18. Caspian Sea field. Expects to deliver through existing Russian pipelines and ships.
US reliance on Saud oil heading back up. Mexico, Venezuala production down. Saud imports up ~20% this year. In 1H11 US imported ~1.15Mb/d from Sauds. 2.6Mb/d US imports from Persian Gulf area this May.
Chu backing reauthorization of surcharge on Cal el bills that's raised ~$350M/yr for clean E and E efficiency projects.
Novozymes cut prediction of US ethanol production because of drought.
Novozymes (Denmark) reported revs up 7% in 1H12. EBIT margin 24%. EBIT full year raised to 11-14% from 9-12%.
Chinese comp wants to invest $1B in TX clean coal project.
DC appeals court tossed E15 lawsuit brought by oil, auto and food industry (where was the feed industry?) against EPA. None of petitioners had standing, court said.
White House freed up $470M in unspent earmarks for infrastructure. Yep, political timing. They all do it. We would do it too if we were there unless we are really different peoples. Maybe some of us are really different peeps. We'll only know if we get in office.
Bipartisan group of 25 senators calls underfunding of ports "totally unacceptable".
Hot weather, lightning spreading blazes in polar bear habitat.
Red tide has killed near 1M fish in TX.
NRC: owner of troubled Cal nuke plant failed to provide adequate cyber security.
Construction start on southern leg of Keystone XL pipeline.
First Energy overpaid for renewable energy credits in OH.
Chinese solar panel makers request probe of alleged EU solar dumping, subsidies.
GE unveiled wind turbine to charge EVs.
Norway driver hit bear while swerving to avoid moose. I know. Nothing to do with energy.
Bill McGuire carried Duke Power into nuke age. Died at 102.
Diesel fuel used to frack at least 138 wells in US in past 18 months according to industry reports. EPA proposed definition of diesel raises that # to 408.
New LNG export terminals could become white elephants: study. I've seen white elephants. In fact, there's one just outside my window. But I've also seen flying pigs. And UFOs. :)
Canada doctors calling for health study for oil sands. I'm guessing for the workers and local residents.
EIA: US weekly ethanol production averaging 819Kb/d. ~34.4M gal/d. Up 2Kb/d from week before. 4-week average 810Kb/d. Annually ~ 12.4B gallons. Ethanol stocks at 18.4M bls. Gasoline demand avg 391M gal/d. Daily eth prod 8.8% of gas demand. So, eth mix down around 1.2% lately as I understand it. The drought. And corn costs.
BP Biofuels, TX AgriLife Research, in TX A&M system, signed 3-year agreement to develop and commercialize cellulosic feedstocks for advanced biofuels. Pearl millet napiergrass, kinggrass, energy cane and miscane suitable along US gulf coast.
Boeing, COMAC opened joint Aviation Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction Tech Center in China. 1st research project to ID contaminants in "gutter oil" (waste cooking oil) and processes that may treat it and clean it for jet fuel. China consumes ~29M tons/y of cooking oil and their av system uses 20M tons/y. Do that math.
POET, Novozymes calling on EPA to deny RFS waivers.
$32.7B of new power and water projects have or will start construction this year in Middle East this year. 97 projects. UAE $1.5B, headed by $740M solar farm. Kuwait 19 projects for $4.2B led by $2.7B water and power plant. Sauds $8.8B for 15 projects. And 9 more countries.
Bill Gates: near 2.6B folks around world have no access to clean sanitation. 1.5M children die from that every year. Bill and Meliss awarded CalTech money for solar-powered toilet. The one we knew of back in the '70's?
DOE expects total Kazach oil production to reach 200Kb/d in '13. Kazmunaigas predicting 300K and 1Mb/d as early as '18. Caspian Sea field. Expects to deliver through existing Russian pipelines and ships.
FRIDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market flat and mixed. Volume heavy. Options Friday. Oil steady over $95. US July leading indicators up .04%, more than forecast. June revised to down .04%.
AMLM up 33 on 144 shs. GTAT up another 5 on upgrade. Hit top (200-day) lines. ASTI up 4. NTCXF up 2. NENE flat.
PPRW down 50 on 1K shs. NGLPF down 25 on 11K. PSPW down 19 on 6K. VNDB down 8, may have hit bottom. XSNX, GWBU down 3. WTWO down 2. FSLR down 1.
Market flat and mixed. Volume heavy. Options Friday. Oil steady over $95. US July leading indicators up .04%, more than forecast. June revised to down .04%.
AMLM up 33 on 144 shs. GTAT up another 5 on upgrade. Hit top (200-day) lines. ASTI up 4. NTCXF up 2. NENE flat.
PPRW down 50 on 1K shs. NGLPF down 25 on 11K. PSPW down 19 on 6K. VNDB down 8, may have hit bottom. XSNX, GWBU down 3. WTWO down 2. FSLR down 1.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
THURSDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 85/31/5. Volume normal. Oil up over $95.
ENSL up 60 on a couple hundred thousand shares. BLQN up 43 on a couple thousand shares. SLMU up 21 on 181K. MMMW up 28 on 140. HOKU up 19. GTAT up 11. That's a real deal. Real company. Real volume. Real money. RSOL up 10 on rebound. All of 20K shares. BWEN up 9. Could be bottoming, but how long do you want to wait to make money? DSTI up 8. Yea, how much money do they make? For how many years? Supposedly coming to market now. 14K shares. XSNX up 6. Potential revs, profits. Yea? VNDB up 5. Rebounding. NTCXF up 3. Real potential. 37K shs. WTWO up 2. Building momentum. FSLR up 1.
NPWZ down 23. Last time I tried to buy them Ameritrade said I couldn't. Thank God and Greyhound. Supposed to be great turnaround story of fuel cells. QTMM down 13 on 8k shares. SOPW down 12. XDSL down 11. They can't get anywhere. GWBU down 8. ASTI down 6 more. Wait till they get back to top lines?
Market up 85/31/5. Volume normal. Oil up over $95.
ENSL up 60 on a couple hundred thousand shares. BLQN up 43 on a couple thousand shares. SLMU up 21 on 181K. MMMW up 28 on 140. HOKU up 19. GTAT up 11. That's a real deal. Real company. Real volume. Real money. RSOL up 10 on rebound. All of 20K shares. BWEN up 9. Could be bottoming, but how long do you want to wait to make money? DSTI up 8. Yea, how much money do they make? For how many years? Supposedly coming to market now. 14K shares. XSNX up 6. Potential revs, profits. Yea? VNDB up 5. Rebounding. NTCXF up 3. Real potential. 37K shs. WTWO up 2. Building momentum. FSLR up 1.
NPWZ down 23. Last time I tried to buy them Ameritrade said I couldn't. Thank God and Greyhound. Supposed to be great turnaround story of fuel cells. QTMM down 13 on 8k shares. SOPW down 12. XDSL down 11. They can't get anywhere. GWBU down 8. ASTI down 6 more. Wait till they get back to top lines?
STUFF
Ford investing $135M in next-gen EV batts. >1K engineers working on it. C-Max, a crossover SUV to come in conventional hybrid or plug-in models, could take market from Prius V in a couple years out.
Constellation to build 4.35MW solar project for Casa Grande Union High School District.
Sunrise Energy Ventures 3 new (10MW total) solar projects in Indiana. Indy Power & Light to PPA 15 years.
$107M available for upstate NY solar energy through NY Sun Initiative. NY State Energy R&D Authority program. Seeking systems >50KWh.
Booth Energy Group, River Trading Comp $7B deal could send 9M tons coal/yr to India from WV, KY.
Greenland ice sheet melt broke seasonal record 4 weeks before melting usually stops.
Toyota planning to start selling hydrogen cars in 3 years. I'm guessing fuel cells.
EPA plans to issue proposed rule by yearend to address fraud in biodiesel credit market.
Judges suspend giant dam construction in Brazil so indigenous folks can be brought in to process.
Scientists developed new scoring system for oceans' health. Factors include fisheries, biodiversity, tourism, C storage. Zero-100 scale. Overall health 60. Sierra Leone coast waters worst at 36, uninhabited island near Hawaii highest at 86.
Hawaii pleading for speed from FERC on LNG imports.
FAA said - again - Cape Wind poses no threat to av nav.
Porpoises and WWII munitions adding millions in costs to offshore N Sea wind development. Pile driving for foundations can produce up to 245 decibels. Porpoise doomed to die if hearing shattered. Developers using techs that reduce the noise. 1.6M metric tons of mines, bombs, artillery shells filled with chem agents estimated to be lying in North and Baltic Seas. Can't lay electric wires over all dat.
Clean Energy Biofuels has 2 retail biodiesel stations in Atlanta, 1 in TN. Biodies from used cooking oil collected from area restaurants, food providers.
Iowa biodiesel production up to 55M gal in Q2, up from 42M in Q1.
National Aluminum Comp (India) planning $175K algae biodiesel facility to grow algae in plant's wastewater treatment plant.
UAE signed $3B in contracts to secure nuke fuel requirements for 15 years. They're building 4 1.4GW reactors. Online '17 their plan.
Oregon State U engineers made breakthrough in performance of microbial fuel cells that produce el from wastewater. 10-50x more el than most approaches, up to 100x some others. Also works with grass straw, animal waste and byproducts from wine, beer or dairy industries. Give them a company.
Cx Solar Korea leading investor group in $1B for Pakistan solar farm. 50MW to start, 300MW by '16. To use silicon and thin film they say.
China's wind power capacity linked in to grid up 87% this year. >50GW connected. 100GW goal by '15. 200GW by '20. Amazing. Amazing what they can do when they put their collective minds to it. Too bad we can't agree on anything in the United States.
Top US coal moguls backing Romney. What a surprise dat.
Exxon spotted spill off Nigerian coast. Huh. What's new. And it drifts over to Sierra Leone.
EPA nearing approval of sorghum as ethanol feedstock.
Chinese cars recalled in Australia after asbestos detection.
And this is our world. Stay well in it. Happy trails, pards.
Constellation to build 4.35MW solar project for Casa Grande Union High School District.
Sunrise Energy Ventures 3 new (10MW total) solar projects in Indiana. Indy Power & Light to PPA 15 years.
$107M available for upstate NY solar energy through NY Sun Initiative. NY State Energy R&D Authority program. Seeking systems >50KWh.
Booth Energy Group, River Trading Comp $7B deal could send 9M tons coal/yr to India from WV, KY.
Greenland ice sheet melt broke seasonal record 4 weeks before melting usually stops.
Toyota planning to start selling hydrogen cars in 3 years. I'm guessing fuel cells.
EPA plans to issue proposed rule by yearend to address fraud in biodiesel credit market.
Judges suspend giant dam construction in Brazil so indigenous folks can be brought in to process.
Scientists developed new scoring system for oceans' health. Factors include fisheries, biodiversity, tourism, C storage. Zero-100 scale. Overall health 60. Sierra Leone coast waters worst at 36, uninhabited island near Hawaii highest at 86.
Hawaii pleading for speed from FERC on LNG imports.
FAA said - again - Cape Wind poses no threat to av nav.
Porpoises and WWII munitions adding millions in costs to offshore N Sea wind development. Pile driving for foundations can produce up to 245 decibels. Porpoise doomed to die if hearing shattered. Developers using techs that reduce the noise. 1.6M metric tons of mines, bombs, artillery shells filled with chem agents estimated to be lying in North and Baltic Seas. Can't lay electric wires over all dat.
Clean Energy Biofuels has 2 retail biodiesel stations in Atlanta, 1 in TN. Biodies from used cooking oil collected from area restaurants, food providers.
Iowa biodiesel production up to 55M gal in Q2, up from 42M in Q1.
National Aluminum Comp (India) planning $175K algae biodiesel facility to grow algae in plant's wastewater treatment plant.
UAE signed $3B in contracts to secure nuke fuel requirements for 15 years. They're building 4 1.4GW reactors. Online '17 their plan.
Oregon State U engineers made breakthrough in performance of microbial fuel cells that produce el from wastewater. 10-50x more el than most approaches, up to 100x some others. Also works with grass straw, animal waste and byproducts from wine, beer or dairy industries. Give them a company.
Cx Solar Korea leading investor group in $1B for Pakistan solar farm. 50MW to start, 300MW by '16. To use silicon and thin film they say.
China's wind power capacity linked in to grid up 87% this year. >50GW connected. 100GW goal by '15. 200GW by '20. Amazing. Amazing what they can do when they put their collective minds to it. Too bad we can't agree on anything in the United States.
Top US coal moguls backing Romney. What a surprise dat.
Exxon spotted spill off Nigerian coast. Huh. What's new. And it drifts over to Sierra Leone.
EPA nearing approval of sorghum as ethanol feedstock.
Chinese cars recalled in Australia after asbestos detection.
And this is our world. Stay well in it. Happy trails, pards.
THURSDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 32/15/4. Volume a little heavy. Oil up over $94. Philly-area econ contracted at slower pace, 4th month in row down.
ENSL up 68. BLQN up 50. WTWO up 14. GPRC up 10. VNDB up 7. FSLR up 3 more.
PSPW down 26. NEXS down 9. ASTI down 8. Coming back. CLNT down 7. GWBU down 6. NENE, NTCXF, XSNX flat.
Market up 32/15/4. Volume a little heavy. Oil up over $94. Philly-area econ contracted at slower pace, 4th month in row down.
ENSL up 68. BLQN up 50. WTWO up 14. GPRC up 10. VNDB up 7. FSLR up 3 more.
PSPW down 26. NEXS down 9. ASTI down 8. Coming back. CLNT down 7. GWBU down 6. NENE, NTCXF, XSNX flat.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
WEDNESDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market flat and mixed. Volume light. Oil up over $94. Oil supplies down more than expected. NY manufacturing unexpectedly fell 1st time since Oct. Homebuilders most optimistic in 5 years.
ZAAP up 45. 4-day rise off bottom to over 50-day lines. CRGE up 40. REGI up 27 on Q report. Biodiesel not getting press like ethanol. And how is soybean market? Big volume surge off bottom up near 50-day lines. PSPW up 20. QTMM up 14. GWBU up 11. CCGI up 10 after their Q report. WTWO up 9. NPWZ up 7. FSLR up 5. MXWL up 3. Expect more gains there. Climb out over 50's with decent Q report.
BLQN down 31. I don't know. AMPD down 28. They may be going bankrupt. GPRC down 24. Right back to bottom after yesterday's jump. ECTY down 21 on Q report. Back to bottom line. VNDB, APWR down 18. CLNT down 14 after reporting, but still almost 50 percent off recent double bottom. Big volume. BLDW down 14. XSNX, NFEC down 10. XSNX really double bottoming. PLUG down 9 after report. Back on bottom. CERP down 8 after reporting. Back near bottom. ASTI, BWEN down 7. ASTI coming back. Large day moves last 2 days. LSCG down 6. NTCXF down 3. NENE down 2.
Market flat and mixed. Volume light. Oil up over $94. Oil supplies down more than expected. NY manufacturing unexpectedly fell 1st time since Oct. Homebuilders most optimistic in 5 years.
ZAAP up 45. 4-day rise off bottom to over 50-day lines. CRGE up 40. REGI up 27 on Q report. Biodiesel not getting press like ethanol. And how is soybean market? Big volume surge off bottom up near 50-day lines. PSPW up 20. QTMM up 14. GWBU up 11. CCGI up 10 after their Q report. WTWO up 9. NPWZ up 7. FSLR up 5. MXWL up 3. Expect more gains there. Climb out over 50's with decent Q report.
BLQN down 31. I don't know. AMPD down 28. They may be going bankrupt. GPRC down 24. Right back to bottom after yesterday's jump. ECTY down 21 on Q report. Back to bottom line. VNDB, APWR down 18. CLNT down 14 after reporting, but still almost 50 percent off recent double bottom. Big volume. BLDW down 14. XSNX, NFEC down 10. XSNX really double bottoming. PLUG down 9 after report. Back on bottom. CERP down 8 after reporting. Back near bottom. ASTI, BWEN down 7. ASTI coming back. Large day moves last 2 days. LSCG down 6. NTCXF down 3. NENE down 2.
STUFF
Study: Geese learn to avoid wind farms.
3D printers for $500?!
Mutations in Fukushima-area butterflies.
Scientist says covering reservoirs with layer of palm/coconut oil would reduce evaporation up to 75%. Oil would be ~molecule thick. Gallon would cover 2 sq miles. Interior Dept Bureau of Reclamation tried it in '50's and '60's but wind blew oil "skin" off Okla lake. Scientist says what the heck, replace it if the wind blows it off. And DOI used a different oil. Evap volume about equal to water use.
USGS: US could add 32B bls of oil, 290TCF of NG to onshore reserves. Doubling oil.
Fisker Auto, troubled luxury EV maker, hired former Volt project head as CEO.
17-year-old's invention could streamline school buses. He was taking aerodynamics course at Northwestern U. 5 yrs ago when he got the idea. Why stop at school buses?
Vestas laying off US workers at Pueblo plant in absence of wind tax credit renewal.
State insurance officials embracing climate provisions in new US flood law.
Study confirms climate model predictions of more severe droughts in US.
Clean Energy Patent Growth Index hit new record - 694 US patents issued - in 1Q12, topping previous Q's record. Toyota had most - 49 - mostly in fuel cells. US led all countries, then Japan, then Germany. Index includes (not clean E) biomass and biofuels patents. Solar topped index with 188 patents.
NY Power Auth approved 2-yr, $5.6M for further refurbishment of Niagra Power Project's 240MW pumped storage plant. Total refurb to cost $460M over 10 yrs. 1 of 2 such facilitiess in state, the other 1.1GW.
Suzlon Energy, India's largest wind turbine maker, may cut jobs, sell bonds after $153M loss in last Q. Lost money last 3 years. Global supply glut has driven prices down 23% since '09. Lack of working capital constraining their ability to meet orders.
Renewable E Corp ASA, a solar energy group, to stop funding it's Norwegian solar wafer division. Plans to file insolvency for the unit after shutting down production. $203M in red.
India PM says every household to have el in 5 years. And el supply will be improved.
Renewable E Group (REGI) Q revs up 39% yoy. Profit up 3% to $26.5M. Production rose 30% to 43M gal, sales rose 63% to 54M gal. They make biodiesel. Avg price $5.03/gal, down from $5.91 last year.
Govs of NC, Ark, MD, Del requested waivers of Renewable Fuel Std in light of drought.
Central MN Ethanol Co-op suspended production @ 21.5M gal plant because of corn price and unavailability. Hopes to re-start in Oct after new crop is harvested.
Global Industry Analysts reported global consumption of biofuels projected to reach 135B gal by '18 with US taking lead over Brazil.
Lignol Energy raised $2.4M to invest in Australian Renewable Fuels. ARW largest biodiesel producer in Australia. 3 plants with total capacity of 150M liters/y, built for A$150M. Revs running >A$43M last 2 Q's.
Iowa State U researchers feeding pigs, chickens dried hi-protein, food-grade fungi derived from stillage production during ethanol production. Fungi production system also cleans some of water in ethanol production so more water can be recycled.
Argentina ready to approve new Monsanto GMO soybean. Brazil already approved.
Cal Chevron refinery may be shut for 6 months from fire.
Dong Energy bought 3 major offshore N Sea projects from PNE Wind (Germany). Euro57M down on potential Euro157M.
Baghdad told Total to cancel Kurdistan deal or sell its stake in the oilfield.
BP wants $7.9B for group of GOM oilfields. 120M bls proven reserves, produced ~58Kb/d in Q1. Comp plans to sell $38B of assets by end of '13. Gulf spill wiped out ~1/3 of their market value.
Shilling says US just had 3 months in row of retail sales declines. That's happened 29 times since data collection started in '47. In 27 of them, we were in recession or within 3 months of one. He says this one should last ~1 yr and shave ~3.5% off GDP, peak to trough. Did we hit >3% GDP growth recently?
FSLR opened Bangkok office.
Ontario Power Authority issued "Small FIT" rules for solar systems 10-500KW. >200MW in contracts to be let Oct 1 to Nov 30.
There was more I had on this, but the script continued to be farked up despite how many tries describing the micro and large FITs. And Ontario's solar numbers. Is that a Microsoft-Google war or something? Happened before with Poland's FIT story days ago. Very strange.
3D printers for $500?!
Mutations in Fukushima-area butterflies.
Scientist says covering reservoirs with layer of palm/coconut oil would reduce evaporation up to 75%. Oil would be ~molecule thick. Gallon would cover 2 sq miles. Interior Dept Bureau of Reclamation tried it in '50's and '60's but wind blew oil "skin" off Okla lake. Scientist says what the heck, replace it if the wind blows it off. And DOI used a different oil. Evap volume about equal to water use.
USGS: US could add 32B bls of oil, 290TCF of NG to onshore reserves. Doubling oil.
Fisker Auto, troubled luxury EV maker, hired former Volt project head as CEO.
17-year-old's invention could streamline school buses. He was taking aerodynamics course at Northwestern U. 5 yrs ago when he got the idea. Why stop at school buses?
Vestas laying off US workers at Pueblo plant in absence of wind tax credit renewal.
State insurance officials embracing climate provisions in new US flood law.
Study confirms climate model predictions of more severe droughts in US.
Clean Energy Patent Growth Index hit new record - 694 US patents issued - in 1Q12, topping previous Q's record. Toyota had most - 49 - mostly in fuel cells. US led all countries, then Japan, then Germany. Index includes (not clean E) biomass and biofuels patents. Solar topped index with 188 patents.
NY Power Auth approved 2-yr, $5.6M for further refurbishment of Niagra Power Project's 240MW pumped storage plant. Total refurb to cost $460M over 10 yrs. 1 of 2 such facilitiess in state, the other 1.1GW.
Suzlon Energy, India's largest wind turbine maker, may cut jobs, sell bonds after $153M loss in last Q. Lost money last 3 years. Global supply glut has driven prices down 23% since '09. Lack of working capital constraining their ability to meet orders.
Renewable E Corp ASA, a solar energy group, to stop funding it's Norwegian solar wafer division. Plans to file insolvency for the unit after shutting down production. $203M in red.
India PM says every household to have el in 5 years. And el supply will be improved.
Renewable E Group (REGI) Q revs up 39% yoy. Profit up 3% to $26.5M. Production rose 30% to 43M gal, sales rose 63% to 54M gal. They make biodiesel. Avg price $5.03/gal, down from $5.91 last year.
Govs of NC, Ark, MD, Del requested waivers of Renewable Fuel Std in light of drought.
Central MN Ethanol Co-op suspended production @ 21.5M gal plant because of corn price and unavailability. Hopes to re-start in Oct after new crop is harvested.
Global Industry Analysts reported global consumption of biofuels projected to reach 135B gal by '18 with US taking lead over Brazil.
Lignol Energy raised $2.4M to invest in Australian Renewable Fuels. ARW largest biodiesel producer in Australia. 3 plants with total capacity of 150M liters/y, built for A$150M. Revs running >A$43M last 2 Q's.
Iowa State U researchers feeding pigs, chickens dried hi-protein, food-grade fungi derived from stillage production during ethanol production. Fungi production system also cleans some of water in ethanol production so more water can be recycled.
Argentina ready to approve new Monsanto GMO soybean. Brazil already approved.
Cal Chevron refinery may be shut for 6 months from fire.
Dong Energy bought 3 major offshore N Sea projects from PNE Wind (Germany). Euro57M down on potential Euro157M.
Baghdad told Total to cancel Kurdistan deal or sell its stake in the oilfield.
BP wants $7.9B for group of GOM oilfields. 120M bls proven reserves, produced ~58Kb/d in Q1. Comp plans to sell $38B of assets by end of '13. Gulf spill wiped out ~1/3 of their market value.
Shilling says US just had 3 months in row of retail sales declines. That's happened 29 times since data collection started in '47. In 27 of them, we were in recession or within 3 months of one. He says this one should last ~1 yr and shave ~3.5% off GDP, peak to trough. Did we hit >3% GDP growth recently?
FSLR opened Bangkok office.
Ontario Power Authority issued "Small FIT" rules for solar systems 10-500KW. >200MW in contracts to be let Oct 1 to Nov 30.
There was more I had on this, but the script continued to be farked up despite how many tries describing the micro and large FITs. And Ontario's solar numbers. Is that a Microsoft-Google war or something? Happened before with Poland's FIT story days ago. Very strange.
WEDNESDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market flat and mixed. Volume light. Oil down under $93. US industrial production up .6%.
PALAF up 10. Coming off double bottom. ASTI up another 9, but couldn't top yesterday's top. Yet. REGI up 9 off bottom after reporting. EFOI up 8 after reporting. Up to bottom (50-day) lines. FSLR, XSNX up 1. NENE, NTCXF, GWBU, WTWO flat.
ECTY down 23 after reporting. Back to bottom. VNDB down 13 more. Day 6 of tumble. Looking like it's at bottom. CSIQ down 12 after reporting wider loss. Chinese solars are debt-laden and in need of funds. CABN down 10. AONE down 5, back to bottom.
Market flat and mixed. Volume light. Oil down under $93. US industrial production up .6%.
PALAF up 10. Coming off double bottom. ASTI up another 9, but couldn't top yesterday's top. Yet. REGI up 9 off bottom after reporting. EFOI up 8 after reporting. Up to bottom (50-day) lines. FSLR, XSNX up 1. NENE, NTCXF, GWBU, WTWO flat.
ECTY down 23 after reporting. Back to bottom. VNDB down 13 more. Day 6 of tumble. Looking like it's at bottom. CSIQ down 12 after reporting wider loss. Chinese solars are debt-laden and in need of funds. CABN down 10. AONE down 5, back to bottom.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
TUESDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market about as flat and mixed as it gets. Volume light. It's August. The world on vacation. Oil steady over $93.
CLNT up 45. Huh. GPRC up 38. OK, maybe Chinese companies can give up gains. SATC up 19. I thought they were supposed to go bankrupt. CABN up 17 on their news. NFEC up 15, going up with CLNT. NEXS up 13. ECTY up 10. PEIX up 9. With corn prices where they are?! And the calls to end ethanol mandates?! The shorters, I bet. ASTI up 8 after all the volume. I did say wait for the come back this morn, right? REGI up 7. Again, ethanol. NTCXF up 2. NENE, XDSL flat.
CRGE down 37. BLDW down 31. WTWO down 17. Volume picked up. HOKU down 16. GWBU down 15 on strong volume. KIOR, CWET down 14. CWET I understand. KIOR important. AMEL down 11. AMRS down 10. Like KIOR, an enzyme comp. AONE down 9. Wall Street doesn't like China comps. Though some they do. CERP down 7. FSLR down 2. XSNX down 1.
Market about as flat and mixed as it gets. Volume light. It's August. The world on vacation. Oil steady over $93.
CLNT up 45. Huh. GPRC up 38. OK, maybe Chinese companies can give up gains. SATC up 19. I thought they were supposed to go bankrupt. CABN up 17 on their news. NFEC up 15, going up with CLNT. NEXS up 13. ECTY up 10. PEIX up 9. With corn prices where they are?! And the calls to end ethanol mandates?! The shorters, I bet. ASTI up 8 after all the volume. I did say wait for the come back this morn, right? REGI up 7. Again, ethanol. NTCXF up 2. NENE, XDSL flat.
CRGE down 37. BLDW down 31. WTWO down 17. Volume picked up. HOKU down 16. GWBU down 15 on strong volume. KIOR, CWET down 14. CWET I understand. KIOR important. AMEL down 11. AMRS down 10. Like KIOR, an enzyme comp. AONE down 9. Wall Street doesn't like China comps. Though some they do. CERP down 7. FSLR down 2. XSNX down 1.
STUFF
US wind gen capac now reached 50GW: AWEA. Doubled in last 4 years. 10GW more to be online by yearend. Wind power accounted for 32% of newly-installed power gen capac in '11 in US with ~$14B investment.
Wildfires raging in bone-dry N Cal, OR, ID.
880MW Dominion Power reactor at Millstone nuke plant in Conn shut down. Long Island Sound water too warm. Designers never thought that would be a prob. Temp can be no higher than 75F. 1 unit still on, tightly monitored. 3rd already decommissioned.
BP to sell Calif refinery. And big deal announced today on their GOM lease. Or at least ask price.
Floating LNG terminal got export go-ahead.
Petrobras to face significant crude output drop at aging field.
Intl Food Policy Research Institute calling on govts to halt ethanol production. 40% of US corn crop going to biofuels. Soybeans, too, going to biodiesel. So now US buying meat. What is the govt going to do with all that meat? Feed the troops?
Former 100M gal/y eth plant now known as Penn Grain Processing re-started eth prod July 16. Currently operating at 90% capac.
2 S Korea solar comps launching large-scale US-based ops. Nexelon, a Si ingot and solar wafer maker, opening HQ in San Antonio. Part of consortium for 400MW of TX solar projects. Also to build 200MW manufacturing facil. Hanwha started US division to finance, build solar projects in US. Bought stake in Solar Monkey (Calif) last year. New division to allow them to sell their panels in 1GW contract to service pipeline.
TX Commission on Enviro Quality to vote on 22nd to change rules for biofuel blends and testing regs for low-emission diesel known as TxLED. Expected to boost biodiesel demand significantly in state.
Indian Railways (India) to invest $11M in 2 biodiesel plants. Should be online next year. Plans to invest in 2 more. 1st 2 to prod 60 metric tons/d (~175b/d by my math).
India cabinet to set eth pricing this week in light of commodity shortages.
Argentina overnight last weekend boosted biodiesel export tax 32% from 20%.
Qualcomm (Calif) partnering with Renault for field trial of wireless EV charging later this year in London. Delta Motorsport (UK) plans to put the tech into their EV's to be used in same trial. Gamechanger if it works.
Mich State U researchers say they can increase amount of E recovered during eth prod by 2K%. Bioelectrochem process uses microbial electrolysis cells in steps. 35-40% of energy recovered v. 4.5% now. Waste products then used to gen H which takes E produced up to 73% of potential. Gamechanger if it can scale.
Last week 7 solar and wind power projects totaling near 5GW expedited from White House exec order. OMB to fast-track BP Wind's 425MW AZ project, Solar Reserve's AZ project, enXco's solar project in Calif, Next Era's 750MW Cal solar project, RES Americas' solar project, FSLR's NV solar project and Chokecherry/Sierra Madre wind farm in WY.
Russia warning US against additional sanctions on Iran that would affect Russian firms. Asia's major crude buyers finding ways around sanctions to maintain Iran oil imports.
Wildfires raging in bone-dry N Cal, OR, ID.
880MW Dominion Power reactor at Millstone nuke plant in Conn shut down. Long Island Sound water too warm. Designers never thought that would be a prob. Temp can be no higher than 75F. 1 unit still on, tightly monitored. 3rd already decommissioned.
BP to sell Calif refinery. And big deal announced today on their GOM lease. Or at least ask price.
Floating LNG terminal got export go-ahead.
Petrobras to face significant crude output drop at aging field.
Intl Food Policy Research Institute calling on govts to halt ethanol production. 40% of US corn crop going to biofuels. Soybeans, too, going to biodiesel. So now US buying meat. What is the govt going to do with all that meat? Feed the troops?
Former 100M gal/y eth plant now known as Penn Grain Processing re-started eth prod July 16. Currently operating at 90% capac.
2 S Korea solar comps launching large-scale US-based ops. Nexelon, a Si ingot and solar wafer maker, opening HQ in San Antonio. Part of consortium for 400MW of TX solar projects. Also to build 200MW manufacturing facil. Hanwha started US division to finance, build solar projects in US. Bought stake in Solar Monkey (Calif) last year. New division to allow them to sell their panels in 1GW contract to service pipeline.
TX Commission on Enviro Quality to vote on 22nd to change rules for biofuel blends and testing regs for low-emission diesel known as TxLED. Expected to boost biodiesel demand significantly in state.
Indian Railways (India) to invest $11M in 2 biodiesel plants. Should be online next year. Plans to invest in 2 more. 1st 2 to prod 60 metric tons/d (~175b/d by my math).
India cabinet to set eth pricing this week in light of commodity shortages.
Argentina overnight last weekend boosted biodiesel export tax 32% from 20%.
Qualcomm (Calif) partnering with Renault for field trial of wireless EV charging later this year in London. Delta Motorsport (UK) plans to put the tech into their EV's to be used in same trial. Gamechanger if it works.
Mich State U researchers say they can increase amount of E recovered during eth prod by 2K%. Bioelectrochem process uses microbial electrolysis cells in steps. 35-40% of energy recovered v. 4.5% now. Waste products then used to gen H which takes E produced up to 73% of potential. Gamechanger if it can scale.
Last week 7 solar and wind power projects totaling near 5GW expedited from White House exec order. OMB to fast-track BP Wind's 425MW AZ project, Solar Reserve's AZ project, enXco's solar project in Calif, Next Era's 750MW Cal solar project, RES Americas' solar project, FSLR's NV solar project and Chokecherry/Sierra Madre wind farm in WY.
Russia warning US against additional sanctions on Iran that would affect Russian firms. Asia's major crude buyers finding ways around sanctions to maintain Iran oil imports.
TUESDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 30/9/3. Volume very light. Oil up over $93. Avg. bull market is 34 months, this one @ 41. Retail sales beat forecast. US biz inventories rising slowest in 9 months. German GDP slowed less than forecast. France avoided GDP drop. But Euro-area cuts have pushed 6 nations into recession.
GPRC up 49 after reporting. ASTI up another 40. Wait for a come back. ZAAP up 25. CABN up 19 on news. CSKH up 11. NENE, VNDB flat.
ENSL down 52. CRGE down 37. AMLM down 36. SLMU down 19. NPWZ down 18. HOKU down 17. GWBU down 12. AMEL down 11. WTWO down 10. RSOL down 10 on downgrade, new low. XSNX down 9. BWEN down 8. KIOR down 5 after reporting EPS in-line. PLUG down 6, $6.5M loss Q2. FSLR down 3 more.
Market up 30/9/3. Volume very light. Oil up over $93. Avg. bull market is 34 months, this one @ 41. Retail sales beat forecast. US biz inventories rising slowest in 9 months. German GDP slowed less than forecast. France avoided GDP drop. But Euro-area cuts have pushed 6 nations into recession.
GPRC up 49 after reporting. ASTI up another 40. Wait for a come back. ZAAP up 25. CABN up 19 on news. CSKH up 11. NENE, VNDB flat.
ENSL down 52. CRGE down 37. AMLM down 36. SLMU down 19. NPWZ down 18. HOKU down 17. GWBU down 12. AMEL down 11. WTWO down 10. RSOL down 10 on downgrade, new low. XSNX down 9. BWEN down 8. KIOR down 5 after reporting EPS in-line. PLUG down 6, $6.5M loss Q2. FSLR down 3 more.
Monday, August 13, 2012
MONDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market flat and mixed. Volume extremely light. Oil under $93.
CPWY up 66. GWBU up 42. AMLM up 33. ASTI, HOKU up 21. PPRW up 17. CRGE up 14. ECTY up 11. AMRS, KIOR up 10. LSCG up 9. ALTI up 6. NENE flat.
NGLPF down 23. VNDB down 16. QTMM down 13. ZAAP, AQNM down 11. SENY down 10. XSNX down 5. FSLR down 4. NTCXF down 3. WTWO down 2.
Market flat and mixed. Volume extremely light. Oil under $93.
CPWY up 66. GWBU up 42. AMLM up 33. ASTI, HOKU up 21. PPRW up 17. CRGE up 14. ECTY up 11. AMRS, KIOR up 10. LSCG up 9. ALTI up 6. NENE flat.
NGLPF down 23. VNDB down 16. QTMM down 13. ZAAP, AQNM down 11. SENY down 10. XSNX down 5. FSLR down 4. NTCXF down 3. WTWO down 2.
STUFF
Africa getting too hot for chocolate.
Big coinsurers weighing products to reduce climate change risks in poor countries.
New catalyst can break down vehicle methane emissions.
Excelon to sell 3 MD coal plants.
Solarworld, Germany's largest solar panel maker, dropped 11% after 2nd-largest Q loss - $198M. Forecasting full year loss.
See Algae Tech and Brazil's leading ethanol producer to joint develop Brazil's 1st algae biomass plant for ~$10M.
BIOF had $12.4M loss in Q2 - 150% worse than last year. Revs $123M.
Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels (NV) got $105M loan guarantee from USDA's Biorefinery Assistance Program. To convert muni solid waste to ethanol. 10M gal/y. Their 1st commercial-scale plant. Online by '15.
India considering reduction of value added tax on biofuel from 14% to 5%.
Ames Lab pioneering spectrometry to map cottonseed lipids. May hold key to understanding biosynthesis for biofuels prod. Mapping molecules at single cell level. "This tech to blossom very rapidly in next few years."
Midwest ethanol plants voluntarily shutting down. Drought. Corn crop. Down to ~800Kb/d v. ~910K in '11.
Investment in Scotland clean/renew energy up over $4B since '09. Wind farms main focus. But biofuel sector got >$400M. (Scotland has >60% of UK's forests.)
US to invest up to $5B in Indonesia infrastructure. I know. How about spending that here. 1 project for building 4 ethanol plants involves Celanese. OK, at least a US comp involved. Developing synthetic ethanol from coal. Isn't that 30's or before tech? What ev. Economics. Indonesia pushing to reduce gasoline imports by 30Mb/y.
IEA reduced world oil consumption forecast for '12 by 250Kb/d to 89.6Mb/d. Forecasting increase of 800Kb/d next year. They see global GDP growing 3.3% this year, 3.6% next. OECD 1.3% to 1.7%. Forecasts down ~.2% in past month, .4% in China. Chile, Estonia, Slovenia and Israel now added to OECD.
Prelim data for July, 1st full month for EU sanctions on Iran crude, suggests Iran exports fell to 1Mb/d from 1.74 in June. And, of course, the Hormuz collision now between Navy ship and oil tanker. S'up with that?
Sudan deal an oil transit fee of $24/bl. North asked for $36. But IEA doubts full prod can be resumed anytime soon because of damage from rapid shutdown.
Estimate that China adding ~600Kb/d to strategic crude stockpile.
N East US refining shotrfall may be only 50Kb/d.
DOA cut US corn prod forecast to 10.8B bushels, down 13% from '11 despite largest corn sowing since '37 - 96.4M acres.
Indian Oil posted record Q loss after govt failed to comp it for capping fuel prices. Singh continuing to rein in nation's finances.
Chevron's Cal refinery could be shut down up to 3 months from fire. 245Kb/d.
Cheneire moving ahead on Louisiana LNG exporting terminal.
Japan consortium took control of 40% stake in Nexen shale NG assets in Canada. I thought China bought Nexen?!
New rules for China rare earths comps. Minimum prod capac of 20K metric tons per year for mines, output of minimum 2K tons/y for smelters.
Dane N Sea oil fields' output down 4.3% in July to 172Kb/d equiv. On year, down 8.1%.
In '08, Goldman Sachs gave target of $60/sh for Petrobras. Today shares ~$20. Don't listen to Wall Street. Do your own math.
US proved reserves of both oil and NG in '10 rose by highest amounts ever recorded in 35 years of EIA estimates.
Coal India considering importing 20M metric tons of coal in current FY.
US coal prod ~20M tons last week: EIA. Down .5% from prior week, 4.4% from year ago.
China crude oil imports in July up 12.4% yoy. 21.8M metric tons (5.16Mb/d).
Germany's National Infrastructure Bank to increase investment in clean/renew energy and energy efficiency projects to 100B Euros over next 5 years.
U of AZ researchers designed solar module using curved mirrors to focus sunlight onto small glass ball that spreads the light evenly across panels of high efficiency solar cells normally only used in space. Up to 2x power output of normal solar panel. Unless I'm missing something here, those space solar cells - EMKR - already prod ~2x of silicon cells with Gallium Arsenide. Maybe it takes the glass balls to get that kind of prod down here on the planet?
Gazprom Neft signed $317M loan deal to upgrade Serbian subsid that owns oil refineries and major filling station chain.
Wash State U study: when water behind dams rapidly lowers from demand or drought, reservoirs can prod up to 20x more methane than normal from biological activity. Methane 25x worse than CO2 in atmos, 100x more potent over 20 years.
USDA making emergency meat purchases, Obama urging action on farm bill. I thought Congress was on "holiday".
DOE awarded $8M for tougher, lighter auto body materials.
IL gov blocking bill to help build clean coal plant.
Big coinsurers weighing products to reduce climate change risks in poor countries.
New catalyst can break down vehicle methane emissions.
Excelon to sell 3 MD coal plants.
Solarworld, Germany's largest solar panel maker, dropped 11% after 2nd-largest Q loss - $198M. Forecasting full year loss.
See Algae Tech and Brazil's leading ethanol producer to joint develop Brazil's 1st algae biomass plant for ~$10M.
BIOF had $12.4M loss in Q2 - 150% worse than last year. Revs $123M.
Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels (NV) got $105M loan guarantee from USDA's Biorefinery Assistance Program. To convert muni solid waste to ethanol. 10M gal/y. Their 1st commercial-scale plant. Online by '15.
India considering reduction of value added tax on biofuel from 14% to 5%.
Ames Lab pioneering spectrometry to map cottonseed lipids. May hold key to understanding biosynthesis for biofuels prod. Mapping molecules at single cell level. "This tech to blossom very rapidly in next few years."
Midwest ethanol plants voluntarily shutting down. Drought. Corn crop. Down to ~800Kb/d v. ~910K in '11.
Investment in Scotland clean/renew energy up over $4B since '09. Wind farms main focus. But biofuel sector got >$400M. (Scotland has >60% of UK's forests.)
US to invest up to $5B in Indonesia infrastructure. I know. How about spending that here. 1 project for building 4 ethanol plants involves Celanese. OK, at least a US comp involved. Developing synthetic ethanol from coal. Isn't that 30's or before tech? What ev. Economics. Indonesia pushing to reduce gasoline imports by 30Mb/y.
IEA reduced world oil consumption forecast for '12 by 250Kb/d to 89.6Mb/d. Forecasting increase of 800Kb/d next year. They see global GDP growing 3.3% this year, 3.6% next. OECD 1.3% to 1.7%. Forecasts down ~.2% in past month, .4% in China. Chile, Estonia, Slovenia and Israel now added to OECD.
Prelim data for July, 1st full month for EU sanctions on Iran crude, suggests Iran exports fell to 1Mb/d from 1.74 in June. And, of course, the Hormuz collision now between Navy ship and oil tanker. S'up with that?
Sudan deal an oil transit fee of $24/bl. North asked for $36. But IEA doubts full prod can be resumed anytime soon because of damage from rapid shutdown.
Estimate that China adding ~600Kb/d to strategic crude stockpile.
N East US refining shotrfall may be only 50Kb/d.
DOA cut US corn prod forecast to 10.8B bushels, down 13% from '11 despite largest corn sowing since '37 - 96.4M acres.
Indian Oil posted record Q loss after govt failed to comp it for capping fuel prices. Singh continuing to rein in nation's finances.
Chevron's Cal refinery could be shut down up to 3 months from fire. 245Kb/d.
Cheneire moving ahead on Louisiana LNG exporting terminal.
Japan consortium took control of 40% stake in Nexen shale NG assets in Canada. I thought China bought Nexen?!
New rules for China rare earths comps. Minimum prod capac of 20K metric tons per year for mines, output of minimum 2K tons/y for smelters.
Dane N Sea oil fields' output down 4.3% in July to 172Kb/d equiv. On year, down 8.1%.
In '08, Goldman Sachs gave target of $60/sh for Petrobras. Today shares ~$20. Don't listen to Wall Street. Do your own math.
US proved reserves of both oil and NG in '10 rose by highest amounts ever recorded in 35 years of EIA estimates.
Coal India considering importing 20M metric tons of coal in current FY.
US coal prod ~20M tons last week: EIA. Down .5% from prior week, 4.4% from year ago.
China crude oil imports in July up 12.4% yoy. 21.8M metric tons (5.16Mb/d).
Germany's National Infrastructure Bank to increase investment in clean/renew energy and energy efficiency projects to 100B Euros over next 5 years.
U of AZ researchers designed solar module using curved mirrors to focus sunlight onto small glass ball that spreads the light evenly across panels of high efficiency solar cells normally only used in space. Up to 2x power output of normal solar panel. Unless I'm missing something here, those space solar cells - EMKR - already prod ~2x of silicon cells with Gallium Arsenide. Maybe it takes the glass balls to get that kind of prod down here on the planet?
Gazprom Neft signed $317M loan deal to upgrade Serbian subsid that owns oil refineries and major filling station chain.
Wash State U study: when water behind dams rapidly lowers from demand or drought, reservoirs can prod up to 20x more methane than normal from biological activity. Methane 25x worse than CO2 in atmos, 100x more potent over 20 years.
USDA making emergency meat purchases, Obama urging action on farm bill. I thought Congress was on "holiday".
DOE awarded $8M for tougher, lighter auto body materials.
IL gov blocking bill to help build clean coal plant.
MONDAY OPEN
(stock #'s in %)
Market down 77/19/7. Volume very light. Oil down under $93. New home sales 50% below avg.
CPWY up 74. GWBU bounce, up 20. NPWZ up 16. ASTI up 11, announced launch of solar charger for Samsung phone. Hit new high. ECOS up 9 on order for 4 units. XDSL up 5. NENE, NTCXF, XSNX flat.
VNDB down another 25. Going back to bottom? Should be a bounce. AMLM down 16. WTWO down 12. NFEC down 6 more, reporting today. FSLR down 5. GEVO down 4, another court ruling giving them OK to sell product in any market. Still on the bottom. KNDI down 4. To promote self-driving EV rentals.
Market down 77/19/7. Volume very light. Oil down under $93. New home sales 50% below avg.
CPWY up 74. GWBU bounce, up 20. NPWZ up 16. ASTI up 11, announced launch of solar charger for Samsung phone. Hit new high. ECOS up 9 on order for 4 units. XDSL up 5. NENE, NTCXF, XSNX flat.
VNDB down another 25. Going back to bottom? Should be a bounce. AMLM down 16. WTWO down 12. NFEC down 6 more, reporting today. FSLR down 5. GEVO down 4, another court ruling giving them OK to sell product in any market. Still on the bottom. KNDI down 4. To promote self-driving EV rentals.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
STUFF
Wind tower industry in US likely to shrink to ~1,100 towers next year from ~5K this year. Depends, of course, on tax credit extension or expiration by yearend. BWEN going for exporting to Canada and other countries.
SPCG, Thailand's largest solar farm operator, expects 2Q income to double yoy with revs from 20 projects. They plan to have 34 farms by '14.
Pattern Energy turned on Nevada's 1st wind power farm - 151.8MW - near Ely on public land. 66 Siemens 2.3MW turbines. NV Energy to buy power.
Invenergy planning 502MW wind farm in NE Oregon, slated for '14 construction start. Tax credit expiration would probably stall or scuttle the project, though. Senate Finance Committee did vote 19-5 in favor of 1-year, $900M extension. The credit was initiated in Energy Policy Act of '92. It's been allowed to sunset thrice. Oregon energy tax credit (up to $10M/project) ended last Oct.
Other Oregon proposed wind projects: 550MW farm by Rock Creek Wind Power, 564MW farm by Saddle Butte Wind and a 900MW farm - the intent notice expected soon from Diversified Wind and Games.
Paper trail of demise of Great Lakes Offshore Wind project shows Gov Cuomo's admin apparently turned its back when asked for help. And New York Power Authority near-doubled the price tag for their subsidies to justify pulling the plug. Gotta wonder.
US Export-Import Bank authorized $32.1M loan guarantee (BoA loan) to Brazil comp for purchase of wind turbine blades from Arkansas comp for 2 wind farms totalling 391MW. LM Wind Power Blades a subsid of LM Wind Power, largest maker of blades in world. Brazil accounted for $2.7B of Ex-Im's worldwide credit exposure in '11. In FY12 to date, Bank's authorized ~$415M for clean/renewable energy exports worldwide.
3 large N Carolina wind projects have stalled, reasons ranging from lack of power purchasers to migrating swans, geese and eagles and bats.
Total govt incentives for wind energy (in US) grew to $5B in '10 from $476M in '07.
Siemens got order for 90 direct-drive turbines - 270MW - for Australia wind farm. Construction start in '13, online in '14. Global Wind Energy Council estimates Australia wind power capac to triple by '16 from 2.2GW now.
Rochester, MN Public Utilities shutting state's oldest coal plant in '15. Went online in '48. 3 larger coal units added from '53 to '69. City can purchase el on open market at "lot less cost". Plant would have needed $90M in enviro upgrades. In past year, each unit generated power equivalent to only 2-4 days anyway. They feel it's good idea to keep the local air as healthy as possible with the Mayo Clinic in town.
Arizona Public Service announced request for proposal for 32MW solar farm in Gila Bend. APS to finance, own and operate. They're investing in 200MW of solar projects across state.
SPCG, Thailand's largest solar farm operator, expects 2Q income to double yoy with revs from 20 projects. They plan to have 34 farms by '14.
Pattern Energy turned on Nevada's 1st wind power farm - 151.8MW - near Ely on public land. 66 Siemens 2.3MW turbines. NV Energy to buy power.
Invenergy planning 502MW wind farm in NE Oregon, slated for '14 construction start. Tax credit expiration would probably stall or scuttle the project, though. Senate Finance Committee did vote 19-5 in favor of 1-year, $900M extension. The credit was initiated in Energy Policy Act of '92. It's been allowed to sunset thrice. Oregon energy tax credit (up to $10M/project) ended last Oct.
Other Oregon proposed wind projects: 550MW farm by Rock Creek Wind Power, 564MW farm by Saddle Butte Wind and a 900MW farm - the intent notice expected soon from Diversified Wind and Games.
Paper trail of demise of Great Lakes Offshore Wind project shows Gov Cuomo's admin apparently turned its back when asked for help. And New York Power Authority near-doubled the price tag for their subsidies to justify pulling the plug. Gotta wonder.
US Export-Import Bank authorized $32.1M loan guarantee (BoA loan) to Brazil comp for purchase of wind turbine blades from Arkansas comp for 2 wind farms totalling 391MW. LM Wind Power Blades a subsid of LM Wind Power, largest maker of blades in world. Brazil accounted for $2.7B of Ex-Im's worldwide credit exposure in '11. In FY12 to date, Bank's authorized ~$415M for clean/renewable energy exports worldwide.
3 large N Carolina wind projects have stalled, reasons ranging from lack of power purchasers to migrating swans, geese and eagles and bats.
Total govt incentives for wind energy (in US) grew to $5B in '10 from $476M in '07.
Siemens got order for 90 direct-drive turbines - 270MW - for Australia wind farm. Construction start in '13, online in '14. Global Wind Energy Council estimates Australia wind power capac to triple by '16 from 2.2GW now.
Rochester, MN Public Utilities shutting state's oldest coal plant in '15. Went online in '48. 3 larger coal units added from '53 to '69. City can purchase el on open market at "lot less cost". Plant would have needed $90M in enviro upgrades. In past year, each unit generated power equivalent to only 2-4 days anyway. They feel it's good idea to keep the local air as healthy as possible with the Mayo Clinic in town.
Arizona Public Service announced request for proposal for 32MW solar farm in Gila Bend. APS to finance, own and operate. They're investing in 200MW of solar projects across state.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
STUFF
Here's something I don't get. Couldn't we put generators on each wheel of any vehicle to charge a battery pack "engine"? And even add mini wind turbs with air scoops wherever to augment? Why aren't we there already?
Last 5 years, US solar subsidies ~$1B. Fossil fuel got $72B. Huh. Why, America? And this is not the only why, America.
US coal-fired power plants to provide growth platform for Babcock and Wilcox's Power Generation Group for next couple of years. They build, service boilers and enviro control systems. 1H12 net income $155M v. $85 yoy, revs $1.6B v. $1.4.
Hearings on Davis-Besse (Toledo) First Energy nuke plant cracks in outer 2.5 ft-thick concrete structure discovered last year. Cracks formed in '78 blizzard. Windblown rain soaked concrete before rapid freeze caused the moisture to freeze in the concrete. First E proposing weather-proofing, monitoring any crack formation or expansion. NRC concluded that should prevent reoccurence if properly implemented. The concrete basically keeps moisture away from the steel rebar. Situation not comparable to now-shuttered Crystal River FL where improper prep for cutting access hole caused extensive problems.
NRG Energy to add 75MW NG-fired unit at Parish power plant 2 years ahead of sked. ERCOT operates with 13.75% target reserve margin. It's to be a "peaker" unit. NG-powered jet engine, basically. Can reach full capac in minutes. Cost up to $100M. In '15, it will be taken off grid to support pilot carb capture system for 1 of coal units which is to get $167M from DOE. Captured CO2 will enhance prod from aging Gulf coast oil/gas wells. NRG plans to submit permit for another large unit in next few months. They also added 1.1GW of gen to TX grid this summer from mothballed units.
After fracking, used water turns into chem-laced brine 6x saltier than ocean. >100B gal of water to be used this year. Soon to be $9B/y industry to treat it.
Obama slamming Romney's opposition to wind E tax cred. Romney says it's ill-advised and wasteful. Really. Sorry, wrong side of history. Romney campaign calls the governor a "strong supporter" of wind power. Huh. And argues the industry would benefit from less govt support. Yea, well, give that same argument to the fossil fuel industry.
Idaho PUC holding 3 days of hearings over Idaho Power curtailing Rockland Wind's turbines for over 35 hours. I think, fellow rockheads, we have reached the limits of utilities' patience for new energy. They don't like change. They like the established, entrenched system. The easy greasy.
Thousand of youngsters getting lessons in ag and clean E on a floating farm in the Hudson.
Last 5 years, US solar subsidies ~$1B. Fossil fuel got $72B. Huh. Why, America? And this is not the only why, America.
US coal-fired power plants to provide growth platform for Babcock and Wilcox's Power Generation Group for next couple of years. They build, service boilers and enviro control systems. 1H12 net income $155M v. $85 yoy, revs $1.6B v. $1.4.
Hearings on Davis-Besse (Toledo) First Energy nuke plant cracks in outer 2.5 ft-thick concrete structure discovered last year. Cracks formed in '78 blizzard. Windblown rain soaked concrete before rapid freeze caused the moisture to freeze in the concrete. First E proposing weather-proofing, monitoring any crack formation or expansion. NRC concluded that should prevent reoccurence if properly implemented. The concrete basically keeps moisture away from the steel rebar. Situation not comparable to now-shuttered Crystal River FL where improper prep for cutting access hole caused extensive problems.
NRG Energy to add 75MW NG-fired unit at Parish power plant 2 years ahead of sked. ERCOT operates with 13.75% target reserve margin. It's to be a "peaker" unit. NG-powered jet engine, basically. Can reach full capac in minutes. Cost up to $100M. In '15, it will be taken off grid to support pilot carb capture system for 1 of coal units which is to get $167M from DOE. Captured CO2 will enhance prod from aging Gulf coast oil/gas wells. NRG plans to submit permit for another large unit in next few months. They also added 1.1GW of gen to TX grid this summer from mothballed units.
After fracking, used water turns into chem-laced brine 6x saltier than ocean. >100B gal of water to be used this year. Soon to be $9B/y industry to treat it.
Obama slamming Romney's opposition to wind E tax cred. Romney says it's ill-advised and wasteful. Really. Sorry, wrong side of history. Romney campaign calls the governor a "strong supporter" of wind power. Huh. And argues the industry would benefit from less govt support. Yea, well, give that same argument to the fossil fuel industry.
Idaho PUC holding 3 days of hearings over Idaho Power curtailing Rockland Wind's turbines for over 35 hours. I think, fellow rockheads, we have reached the limits of utilities' patience for new energy. They don't like change. They like the established, entrenched system. The easy greasy.
Thousand of youngsters getting lessons in ag and clean E on a floating farm in the Hudson.
FRIDAY CLOSE
(stock #'s in %)
Market up 42/2/3. Volume very light, but that used to be normal for a Friday, especially one in August. Oil under $93. Shilling: flood of foreclosures could cause home prices to drop 20%.
HOKU up 48. Up 7x from bottom in last month. NGLPF up 30. CSOL, ENSL up 25. AQNM up 22. AMTX up 20, near double from bottom 2 days before. SOPW up 16. Double bottom with Dec? SENY up 12. NENE, XSNX up 6. NENE double bottom with Jan. XSNX steadily up this month, now back to bottom 200-day line. ASTI up 5, steadily up since Jan. NTCXF flat.
MKTY down 27. Steadily down since '08. GWBU another day, down another 16. From $1.50 in June to 2 cents. SPIR down 15. AMLM, JUHL down 14. WTWO down 11. Recommending it for a small risk account. Not much downside. If their press releases aren't fraudulent, there's much upside potential. ACFN down 9, down to bottom (200) lines. NFEC down 8, double bottoming? VNDB down 7, hard to figure out, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it double from here. AONE down 4. FSLR down 1. Leveled off for a four-day rest, so far.
Market up 42/2/3. Volume very light, but that used to be normal for a Friday, especially one in August. Oil under $93. Shilling: flood of foreclosures could cause home prices to drop 20%.
HOKU up 48. Up 7x from bottom in last month. NGLPF up 30. CSOL, ENSL up 25. AQNM up 22. AMTX up 20, near double from bottom 2 days before. SOPW up 16. Double bottom with Dec? SENY up 12. NENE, XSNX up 6. NENE double bottom with Jan. XSNX steadily up this month, now back to bottom 200-day line. ASTI up 5, steadily up since Jan. NTCXF flat.
MKTY down 27. Steadily down since '08. GWBU another day, down another 16. From $1.50 in June to 2 cents. SPIR down 15. AMLM, JUHL down 14. WTWO down 11. Recommending it for a small risk account. Not much downside. If their press releases aren't fraudulent, there's much upside potential. ACFN down 9, down to bottom (200) lines. NFEC down 8, double bottoming? VNDB down 7, hard to figure out, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it double from here. AONE down 4. FSLR down 1. Leveled off for a four-day rest, so far.
Friday, August 10, 2012
STUFF
Air Products to build world's largest advanced gasification plant in England - 50MW - to convert non-recyclable waste into E. Online '14. Expected to divert up to 350K metric tons/y from landfills. Byproducts are heat, H, other chems. Air Products world's largest H supplier.
Otter Tail sold and shutting down 2 plants that make wind power towers. Tulsa factory closes in Nov. 167 jobs. West Fargo plant in Oct. 216 jobs. Plants sold to large metal products manufacturers, so maybe jobs will stay.
NRDC: KY #1 in toxic air pollution from coal power plants, followed by OH and PA.
DOI to review Statoil (Norway state comp) 12MW proposal for 1st floating wind farm 12 miles off Maine.
VA's Old Dominion El Coop suspending permit process for large coal/biomass power plant in east VA.
MN regulators delaying decision to close old coal plants.
China facing water crisis. I'm sure they know of desalination. And they do have money saved up.
Japan utilities emitting record CO2 since Fukushima.
Alberta allowed to set up their own plan to curb GHG emissions.
Use of biomass in EU Emissions Trading System may increase GHGs. Yes, plants absorb GHG's while alive, but...
Decision to shelve 2 high-volt $2B el transmission projects in US mid-Atlantic region demonstrating impact of slow econ growth.
Okla governor: state NGV fleets could sway public skepticism. (So could state EV fleets.) (Post Office EV fleet.)
New law intro'd in Congress wants to recognize hydropower as "renewable". Really. Is that where we are? Hydro is 24/7 clean. And VERY affordable. Other 24/7 clean is geothermal, tidal, wave, OTEC and, quite possibly, thermal tower. Let alone nuke, cold fusion, or new nuke. (Scream here.)
Looking at "sails" instead of "propellers" in wind energy from Tunisia inventor. And then, of course, there's vertical axis to get going. Why does it take so long to get things right? Will we look like the 17th century Dutch to our grandkids and great grandkids? Saphon Energy.
New Ceres report stating obvious anecdotal evidence: power industry in transition. Happening faster than predicted. Less pollution, clean power a higher mix than ever, air cleaner. More diverse, resilient grid. Hay. Gittin it done.
Codexis (Cal) expects to lose Shell funds. Cellulase enzymes. Shell stopping $60M/y R&D. 116 jobs. Invested $300M. Industry looking for 25 cents/gal cost for enzymes in cellulosic biofuels.
UN urging US to cut ethanol production. Drought. Corn. People's bellies.
INEOS FL bio plant completed EPA registration to sell cellulosic biofuels. Production startup this quarter. Full prod 8M gal bioethanol, 6MW power/yr. Local yard and ag waste. Working with other comps, cities globally to license the tech.
SYNM (flat today) reported Q2 $6.9M net income on $12M revs. ! V. losses last year. 19.9M gal of biofuels sold last 6 mo v. 5.8.
In India, sugar has shot to new high of $640/ton. Poor monsoon rains.
M&A Q2 activity in global chems industry: 32 deals, up from 22 in Q1. But value down to $11.8B from $13.5.
IFPRI: US midwest drought causing undue pressure on food prices that will negatively affect developing world poor. IE: food riots again.
Calif awarded $1.8M to Yokayo Biofuels for expansion, upgrade of biodiesel plant and buy-downs of alt-fuel vehicles. Yokayo to go from 1.4Kgal/d to 2K. Pioneering enzymatic process. Now collects used fryer oil from >1K restaurants and other facilities in N Cal. New process allows more brown grease (from grease traps). Project est. to cost $4.7M.
Thethys Petrol has major oil find in Tajikistan.
China asked to foot bill for Khartoum's S Sudan loss.
EIA: US will rely on foreign E suppliers to meet 39% of needs in '13. Best since '91. Oil consumption in Europe expected to decline by 400Kbpd this year, and another 200K next year.
Walmart to install a GE 1MW turbine at Red Bud Calif distribution center. Will buy the power from Foundation WindPower.
National Oilwell Varco buying Robbins & Meyers for $2.5B to become 1 of largest oilfield equip and svs comp.
USDA predicting smallest US corn crop in 6 years.
Study: freshwater fish going extinct faster than birds or mammals.
Plans stalled for MO horse slaughter plant. Well, we love horses. But we are what we eat. Would we rather be horses or cows? Pigs, fish or chickens? Vegetables, legumes, fruits or nuts? Anyway, plans stalled.
Marijuana crop suffering from the drought. Huh. Who found that out?
Euro rabbits destroying Wash. island eco. I just report this stuff. Never herd of Euro rabbits till now.
Appeals court ruled for EPA on Alaska wastewater permit approval.
Apple engineer redesigned the thermostat. Well, it was about dang time.
Near Fukushima, another nuke plant held firm during the quake. Yea, but what about the tsunami?
Wind farm scrapped in Scotland over concern for eagles.
Otter Tail sold and shutting down 2 plants that make wind power towers. Tulsa factory closes in Nov. 167 jobs. West Fargo plant in Oct. 216 jobs. Plants sold to large metal products manufacturers, so maybe jobs will stay.
NRDC: KY #1 in toxic air pollution from coal power plants, followed by OH and PA.
DOI to review Statoil (Norway state comp) 12MW proposal for 1st floating wind farm 12 miles off Maine.
VA's Old Dominion El Coop suspending permit process for large coal/biomass power plant in east VA.
MN regulators delaying decision to close old coal plants.
China facing water crisis. I'm sure they know of desalination. And they do have money saved up.
Japan utilities emitting record CO2 since Fukushima.
Alberta allowed to set up their own plan to curb GHG emissions.
Use of biomass in EU Emissions Trading System may increase GHGs. Yes, plants absorb GHG's while alive, but...
Decision to shelve 2 high-volt $2B el transmission projects in US mid-Atlantic region demonstrating impact of slow econ growth.
Okla governor: state NGV fleets could sway public skepticism. (So could state EV fleets.) (Post Office EV fleet.)
New law intro'd in Congress wants to recognize hydropower as "renewable". Really. Is that where we are? Hydro is 24/7 clean. And VERY affordable. Other 24/7 clean is geothermal, tidal, wave, OTEC and, quite possibly, thermal tower. Let alone nuke, cold fusion, or new nuke. (Scream here.)
Looking at "sails" instead of "propellers" in wind energy from Tunisia inventor. And then, of course, there's vertical axis to get going. Why does it take so long to get things right? Will we look like the 17th century Dutch to our grandkids and great grandkids? Saphon Energy.
New Ceres report stating obvious anecdotal evidence: power industry in transition. Happening faster than predicted. Less pollution, clean power a higher mix than ever, air cleaner. More diverse, resilient grid. Hay. Gittin it done.
Codexis (Cal) expects to lose Shell funds. Cellulase enzymes. Shell stopping $60M/y R&D. 116 jobs. Invested $300M. Industry looking for 25 cents/gal cost for enzymes in cellulosic biofuels.
UN urging US to cut ethanol production. Drought. Corn. People's bellies.
INEOS FL bio plant completed EPA registration to sell cellulosic biofuels. Production startup this quarter. Full prod 8M gal bioethanol, 6MW power/yr. Local yard and ag waste. Working with other comps, cities globally to license the tech.
SYNM (flat today) reported Q2 $6.9M net income on $12M revs. ! V. losses last year. 19.9M gal of biofuels sold last 6 mo v. 5.8.
In India, sugar has shot to new high of $640/ton. Poor monsoon rains.
M&A Q2 activity in global chems industry: 32 deals, up from 22 in Q1. But value down to $11.8B from $13.5.
IFPRI: US midwest drought causing undue pressure on food prices that will negatively affect developing world poor. IE: food riots again.
Calif awarded $1.8M to Yokayo Biofuels for expansion, upgrade of biodiesel plant and buy-downs of alt-fuel vehicles. Yokayo to go from 1.4Kgal/d to 2K. Pioneering enzymatic process. Now collects used fryer oil from >1K restaurants and other facilities in N Cal. New process allows more brown grease (from grease traps). Project est. to cost $4.7M.
Thethys Petrol has major oil find in Tajikistan.
China asked to foot bill for Khartoum's S Sudan loss.
EIA: US will rely on foreign E suppliers to meet 39% of needs in '13. Best since '91. Oil consumption in Europe expected to decline by 400Kbpd this year, and another 200K next year.
Walmart to install a GE 1MW turbine at Red Bud Calif distribution center. Will buy the power from Foundation WindPower.
National Oilwell Varco buying Robbins & Meyers for $2.5B to become 1 of largest oilfield equip and svs comp.
USDA predicting smallest US corn crop in 6 years.
Study: freshwater fish going extinct faster than birds or mammals.
Plans stalled for MO horse slaughter plant. Well, we love horses. But we are what we eat. Would we rather be horses or cows? Pigs, fish or chickens? Vegetables, legumes, fruits or nuts? Anyway, plans stalled.
Marijuana crop suffering from the drought. Huh. Who found that out?
Euro rabbits destroying Wash. island eco. I just report this stuff. Never herd of Euro rabbits till now.
Appeals court ruled for EPA on Alaska wastewater permit approval.
Apple engineer redesigned the thermostat. Well, it was about dang time.
Near Fukushima, another nuke plant held firm during the quake. Yea, but what about the tsunami?
Wind farm scrapped in Scotland over concern for eagles.
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